Study Skills Handbook

Study Skills Handbook
Barbara Allan

(Seventh edition)
Barbara Allan
Published by Hull University Business School, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
The Authors and The University of Hull
All intellectual property rights, including copyright, in this publication are
owned by the authors and The University of Hull. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or in any country without prior
written consent. Any breach of ownership shall result in legal proceedings, such
proceedings being determined by the UK courts and under UK law.
Seventh edition produced August 2010
Acknowledgements
Many staff within the University have been involved in the writing or editing of
this Study Skills Handbook. Their time and effort is much appreciated. Special
mention must be made of colleagues within the Business School and, in
particular, Ray Barker, Ian Pownall, Wendy Robson and Steve Trotter. Amy
Cowling produced Appendix A, English Grammar, using text provided by the
Study Advice Service. A big thank you to colleagues from the Study Advice
Service for their suggestions and ideas. In addition, I want to acknowledge the
work of Julia Cook who co-authored the first edition of this handbook, Sarah
Clark who provided the material for the sections on Personal Development
Planning and Your future career, and Nora OHara who provided material for
parts of Chapter 9. Finally, thanks to all those students whose queries and
comments have helped to inform the fifth edition of this handbook.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6
Aims and learning outcomes of the manual .................................................... 7
Other sources of help ........................................................................................ 7
Disability issues ................................................................................................ 8
Chapter 2: Studying at the University
Introduction .....................................................................................................12
Approaches to learning and teaching .............................................................. 13
Becoming an independent learner .................................................................. 15
Closing comments............................................................................................19
Chapter 3: Time Management
Introduction .................................................................................................... 20
Key factors in managing your time................................................................. 23
Key factors in completing specific tasks ......................................................... 24
Closing comments........................................................................................... 25
Chapter 4: Information Skills
Introduction .................................................................................................... 27
Finding your way around the library .............................................................. 28
Introduction to the Internet ........................................................................... 28
Using subject information sources ................................................................. 29
Evaluating information sources ..................................................................... 29
Hull University Business School
Chapter 5: Making Notes

Introduction .................................................................................................... 31
Making good notes .......................................................................................... 32
Working with others........................................................................................ 35
Referencing your notes and plagiarism .......................................................... 35
Closing comments ........................................................................................... 36
Chapter 6: Academic Reading Skills
Introduction .................................................................................................... 37
Improving your reading skills .........................................................................38
Strategies for effective reading: ...................................................................... 39
Closing comments .......................................................................................... 40
Chapter 7: Writing Skills
Introduction .................................................................................................... 41
Writing assignments ....................................................................................... 41
Feedback on assignments ...............................................................................49
Essays .............................................................................................................49
Writing reports ............................................................................................... 52
Chapter 8: Referencing, Bibliography and Plagiarism
Introduction .................................................................................................... 54
Referencing...................................................................................................... 56
Common questions.......................................................................................... 59
Bibliography .................................................................................................... 62
Working in groups ...........................................................................................64
Plagiarism and unfair means .......................................................................... 65
Chapter 9: Presentation Skills
Introduction ................................................................................................... 68
Preparing a presentation ................................................................................ 68
Rehearsing ....................................................................................................... 71
Giving a presentation ...................................................................................... 71
Chapter 10: Working in Groups

Introduction .................................................................................................... 74
What is an effective student group? ............................................................... 74
First meet-up .................................................................................................. 76
The organisation of meetings ......................................................................... 76
Managing group work ..................................................................................... 78
Common problems in group work.................................................................. 79
Chapter 11: Making effective use of eBridge
Introduction .................................................................................................... 82
What is available on eBridge? ........................................................................ 82
Introduction to on-line learning and teaching ............................................... 84
Chapter 12: Examination Skills
Introduction .................................................................................................... 87
Information about examinations ................................................................... 87
Revision........................................................................................................... 89
Sitting examinations ........................................................................................91
Practical tips and advice ................................................................................. 92
The use of unfair means.................................................................................. 93
Chapter 13: Reflection
Introduction .................................................................................................... 95
What is a reflective learner? ........................................................................... 96
Getting started in reflection............................................................................ 96
Learning journals ............................................................................................ 98
Personal Development Planning .................................................................... 99
Your future career ......................................................................................... 106
Closing comments..........................................................................................107
Chapter 14: Conclusion
Feedback ....................................................................................................... 108
Closing Comments ....................................................................................... 108
Resources and Bibliography .............................................................................. 109
Appendix A: English grammar and punctuation
Chapter 1
Introduction
Introduction
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with general academic support. It is
written for all students studying within Hull University Business School (HUBS).
This manual is one of the many ways in which the Business School and the
University provide support and guidance to students.
This manual is written as a reference guide. We suggest that you read this
chapter and then skim through the rest of the manual. You can then choose
when to read individual chapters in depth. The manual is written so that you can
read and work through individual chapters in any order. This means that you
can relate your reading to the academic demands of your programme of study.
This is your manual. Make it your own by writing your name, Student ID
number and programme of study on it. Use the margins or the blank pages to
make notes, write down questions or mark areas that you think you require
further information on. Use a highlighter pen to mark out sections that are of
particular interest to you.

Learn from it
Use it
Keep it safe
Aims and learning outcomes of the manual

The aim of this manual is to provide you with guidance on the academic skills
needed for success on your programme of study.
As a result of reading and working through this manual you should be able to
manage your time and balance your academic studies with other aspects of
your life
identify, evaluate and use a wide range of information sources
produce essays and reports that meet the required standard
work in groups
take full advantage of a virtual learning environment
make a formal presentation supported by appropriate visual aids
prepare for and take examinations
reflect on your current academic skills and identify an appropriate action
plan
Other sources of help

This manual is a starting point to help you with your studies. Many students will
complete a module that provides detailed guidance on academic skills, for
example, the undergraduate module called Academic and Professional Skills or
similar postgraduate modules. Other students may be introduced to these topics
as part of an induction programme or research methods module. It is important
to remember that as a student in HUBS you will have access to help and support
from a number of different sources and these are outlined in the following
section:
Personal Supervisor
Name:
Phone number:
Office location:
Email address:
Other sources of help and support

The following information is correct for the 2010/2011 academic year. If you are
using this manual after 1 August 2011 then please check the most recent edition
(available on the schools website and eBridge) for up-to-date information.
Programme Leader
Name:
Phone number:
Office location:
Email address:
Disability issues
The schools Disability Officer is Graeme Reid who may be contacted on
01482 463091 or g.c.reid@hull.ac.uk or Wharfe building Room 106.
Disability Services offer advice and support to all students and staff on a full
range of disability issues including
arrangements for support in the classroom for example, note-takers and

readers
alternative examination arrangements
advice and assistance with applying for a Disabled Students Allowance
specialist equipment
advice on accommodation
information on the Disability Discrimination Act
Access to Work scheme for staff
referral for an assessment for dyslexia with a psychologist
referral for individual and group dyslexia study support sessions
Hull Campus
The Disability Office
Your first port of call for help and advice.
Based on the third floor of the students union building, which is accessible
either by staircase or lift.
The Miriam Hebron Centre
Based on the ground floor of the Brynmor Jones Library. The Centre is equipped
with specialist equipment to assist students with disabilities.
To contact the Hull office you can visit in person or call on (46)6833.
Scarborough Campus
Students on the Scarborough Campus should contact Rosemary Laidlaw, either
through Office Services or by email on r.laidlaw@hull.ac.uk.
The Disabilities Officers can also be reached by mail
The Disabilities Officers
Disability Services
The University of Hull
Hull, HU6 7RX
Rosemary Laidlaw
Disability Support Advisor
The University of Hull Scarborough Campus
Filey Road
Scarborough, YO11 3AZ
Study Advice Service
This service provides advice and guidance to support your academic studies. The
service covers the following topics: study skills, academic writing, and
mathematics. Individual or small group appointments may be made with
experienced tutors. The service also offers taught workshops and drop-in
sessions.
Hull - Brynmor Jones Library
01482 466344
Scarborough - Room C17b
01723 357274
studyadvice@hull.ac.uk
General email queries
www.studyadvice.hull.ac.uk
This website provides lots of useful

information on study skills. It includes
leaflets, quizzes and video clips. You are
advised to explore this website.
Language Support
The Language Institute provides support and learning activities to help members
of the university develop their language skills. The Language Learning Advisers
guide students towards suitable resources to match their needs. In addition, they
manage the Tandem learning scheme which teams non-native students with a
native speaker who is studying the foreigners native language for mutual
advantage.
If English is not your first language then you may benefit from additional
support. You will find it useful to discuss your requirements with your Personal
Supervisor. The Language Institute within the University offers numerous
English language programmes and training courses. You are advised to contact
them as soon as possible to find out how they can help you with developing your
language skills.
The Language Institute
Ferens Building
The University of Hull
HU6 7RX
Telephone: +44 (0)1482 465900 (Reception)
Fax: +44 (0)1482 466180
E-Mail: langc@hull.ac.uk
Library
You are strongly recommended to spend time learning how to use the library
and also how to access both printed and electronic information sources.
10
The library has numerous guidance leaflets for students (these are available from
the library and also through the university website). The library also runs
specialist workshops in advanced information searching skills.
The library website is available at http://www.hull.ac.uk/lib/.
Members of library staff are always available to help students, especially those in
their early days at the university, so do not be afraid to ask for help.
Chapter 4 in this manual

includes a general
introduction to
information skills
11
Chapter 2
Studying at the University
Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to studying at university and to
help prepare you for the different approaches to learning and teaching used in
the Business School.
If you are an international

student, then you may find
the Study Skills Guide for
international students
useful.
It is available from the
International Office.
Many students find that studying at university involves new ways of learning and
relating to others. Some students come to the school having experienced
traditional and perhaps very formal education systems where the tutors role is
to transmit information to the student who is then expected to learn and then
repeat this information in assignments, dissertations or examinations. This is
not the way in which learning takes place at the University of Hull. At this
university you are expected and encouraged to critically think about ideas and
then discuss and debate them with your peers and tutors. Students who achieve
12
high marks are those who study relevant information sources, think critically
about their findings, discuss and debate them, and then construct their own
valid perspective. The first section in this chapter explains the different types of
learning and teaching activities within the school, and what you can expect in
them.
During your programme of study you are expected to develop your skills as an
independent learner and the second part of this chapter provides you with
guidance on developing these skills.
Approaches to learning and teaching

In HUBS you will experience a number of different approaches to learning and
teaching. Typically these will include
lectures
seminars
group and team activities
tutorials
on-line activities
independent research
Lectures
In lectures you are likely to be in a large group of students listening to a member
of staff (tutor or lecturer) giving a talk on a specific topic. Lectures are often used
to provide an overview of a subject and to identify key themes and issues. The
lecturer will normally use audio visual aids or provide a handout to identify the
key points. There may be opportunities to ask questions. During a lecture you
will normally make notes.
See Chapter 5 for more

guidance on note-taking
Seminars
Seminars involve smaller groups of students coming together with a tutor.
Seminars normally focus on a particular topic and issue, and these are often
13
outlined in your Module Handbook. You may be asked to prepare for the
seminar by reading a particular article or book, working on a case study, or by
making a short presentation to the group.
Seminars are very important as they give you the opportunity to discuss and
debate ideas with your tutor and peers. The UK university system encourages
debate and discussion; you will find it invaluable in helping you to sort out ideas
and the evidence that supports them. If you prepare for seminars by reading the
relevant information sources then you will find it easier to become an active
participant.
Group and team activities
Many modules include group and team activities in which you will work with a
number of other students on a specific task. This is an important part of the
learning process as it enables students to get to know each other, learn more
about a particular topic, learn from each other and also develop their team
working skills. The ability to work in teams is an important skill that everyone
needs for working on projects and in organisations.
Chapter 10 provides more

information and advice
about working in groups
When you are working in small groups or teams, it is important to spend time
getting to know each other and organising yourselves. Decide how you are going
to communicate with each other. Decide how you are going to carry out the task.
Make sure that everyone knows what is required to complete the task. If you
have problems within your group or team that you cannot resolve, then talk with
your tutor.
Tutorials
Tutorials are meetings between you, other students and your tutor. The focus of
these meetings may be specific academic issues, for example, feedback on an
assignment, or they may be about more general matters such as module choices,
or a study tour.
14
On-line activities
You may be expected to take part in on-line activities for some modules. The
University provides access to a range of computer-based learning packages, for
example in statistics, and these are available on the University computer system.
You may also be involved in working and communicating with others in an online environment using bulletin boards and discussion groups. This will involve
accessing an on-line learning environment such as eBridge (available at
https://ebridge.hull.ac.uk/portal). You will be given specific instructions about
gaining access to and using on-line learning environments from your tutor.
Independent research
University studies involve independent study which is when you research and
evaluate information from a wide range of sources.
This is covered in Chapters

46
of this manual
Becoming an independent learner

During your time in the Business School you will develop your skills as an
independent learner.
What is an independent learner?
Independent learners are motivated to learn. They accept responsibility for their
own learning and have the confidence to approach others for help if they need it.
Independent learners manage their learning processes effectively. This includes
identifying what they want to learn, for example, reading the learning
outcomes in the module handbook
identifying how they are going to learn, for example, individual study,
working with a friend, asking for help
managing time, stress and other commitments
using a wide range of learning opportunities and resources, for example,
using appropriate printed and electronic sources
adapting the learning process to make use of new opportunities
15
The material in this section

is adapted from Allan, B.,
Cook, M. and Lewis, R.
(1996) Developing
Independence in Learning,
Hull, University of Lincoln
Independent learners are able to monitor and reflect critically on how and what
they learn. Through this they develop an awareness that helps them to learn with
increasing effectiveness. They also demonstrate a more questioning attitude to
what they are learning. The last point is an important one. In the UK education
system students are expected to discuss and debate ideas with their tutors; you
are not expected to accept passively the ideas and concepts presented by your
tutor. Learning is an active process and you are expected to engage in it during
seminars, tutorials and private study sessions.
The following questionnaire will help you to identify and think about your
approach to study. Please complete this questionnaire and then reflect on your
findings. How can you help yourself to develop as an independent learner?
Developing yourself as an independent learner

The aim of this questionnaire is to help you to think about your approach to learning.
When answering these questions you might like to think about a particular learning
situation, e.g. learning a particular subject, or you may answer them in relation to how you
generally approach learning.
Everyone is unique and there is no right approach to learning. By learning how we learn
and by exploring new and different approaches to learning it is possible to become even
more effective learners. We hope that this questionnaire will help stimulate your learning.
16
Introduction
not very
very
a) How independent do you
think you are as a learner?

b) Ask a friend for an
estimate of how independent
you are as a learner.
c) How would you define
independent learning?
Here is some space for you to
write your thoughts.
Section one: Motivation
not very
very
1 How interested are you in

your studies?
2 How keen are you to

succeed in your studies?
3 How keen are you to
become a better learner?
4
4
Please write any comments

on section one here.
17
Section two: Managing

your learning
never
rarely
sometimes
always
4 Before a
class/workshop/study
session, are you clear about
what you hope to learn?
5 Do you plan how and when
you are going to learn
something?
6 Do you ask for help if you
are having difficulty learning
something new?
7 If you come across new
study methods do you try
them?
on section two here
Section three: Reflection

8 Do you question what you
are told e.g. by tutors, in
books?
9 When you have finished
learning about something do
you think back about how
effective your learning
process was?
10 Do you change the way
you go about learning new
things as a result of thinking
about past learning
situations?
on section three here
18
Interpreting the results

1. Now add up the numbers you circled in sections one, two and three.
2. Write the number you score in the TOTAL SCORES column.
3. Circle the numbers you scored in the adjacent row.
4. Add up your total scores and circle your FINAL SCORE in the last row.
Low
Moderate
High
TOTAL
independence
independence
independence
SCORES
Section one:
Motivation Q1
3
345
6 7 8 9
10 11 12
Section two:
Managing your
learning Q47
4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
Section three:
Reflection Q8
10
345
6 7 8 9
10 11 12
FINAL SCORE
10-19
20-30
31-40
This questionnaire gives an indication of how independent you are as a learner. If you rate
yourself as having low or moderate independence, you could probably benefit from working
at increasing your level of learner independence. You might like to discuss this with your
peers or tutor. A good starting point for developing your independence in learning is to work
through this study skills manual.
Closing comments
You will find that different learning and teaching activities such as lectures,
seminars and tutorials take place within your programme of study. If you are not
experienced in these approaches to learning then you will find that you will need
to spend a little time with your peers and tutors adapting to new ways of
thinking and behaving.
During your time at HUBS you are expected to develop and become an
independent learner. This involves actively engaging with new information and
ideas, discussing and exploring them, and then developing a valid perspective or
viewpoint. This manual provides a good starting point.
19
Chapter 3
Time Management
Introduction
Time management is all about being in control of your life. It involves organising
your time both study and personal into manageable sections that will allow
you to complete your programme of study. It is worthwhile investing a small
amount of time into thinking about time and how you prioritise and organise
your study schedule. As you progress through your programme you may need to
re-visit your approach to time and change the balance to take into account your
changing circumstances.
All students have different pressures on their time and they need to take these
into account when they are planning their work. Here are some typical examples
of the different pressures students face:
James is a first-year full-time undergraduate student. He has a
part-time job (three evenings per week) and likes to play football at
least twice a week.
Anisha is a part-time distance taught student and she has a fulltime job plus family commitments three children under the age
of 7 years.
20
Claire is a part-time undergraduate student who is a single parent

with a full-time job.
Tim is a part-time MBA student who runs his own company. He is
single and likes to spend as much time as possible skiing.
Setava is a final-year full-time student who is also busy applying for
employment after she has completed her studies in HUBS. She has
a part-time job in a local store.
Willie is a full-time MSc student who is settling into his studies in
the UK. He has serious family problems and has recently had to
return home for a week to help support his ageing and very poorly
father.
The annual workload for a

full-time student is
approximately 40 hours
per week during the two 15week semesters
When you think of your own situation you will need to be practical. One
approach to planning your time is to start by keeping a time log for a week. This
will enable you to identify exactly how you are spending your spare time. It
usually surprises students when they realise how much time they fritter away!
You will then be able to identify how you can organise your time.
Planning your studies
You may find it helpful to complete the following type of chart and to identify
the times you will be attending taught sessions.

times you will be able to study (from printed materials)
best times for you to use a computer (at home, work or in university)
21
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Each credit of study corresponds to a notional 10 hours of student learning, and

you should therefore expect to spend around 200 learning hours on a 20-credit
module. This includes taught sessions, seminars, tutorials, independent learning
activities, and revision and assessment.
Full time students who also take part-time work may find there is a conflict
between their university requirements and their paid employment. You will have
to find a sensible balance between the different pressures on your life. If you find
that you have problems with your time management, for example, as a result of
part-time work or a change in your personal situation, you should raise this with
your Personal Supervisor. Your Personal Supervisor may advise you to speak to a
member of the Counselling Service if you require more specific support or
support of a personal nature.
22
Study Advice Service can also help with time planning and meeting deadlines,
and they have a leaflet on this topic. It is available at
www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice.
Key factors in managing your time

Good time management is about being able to identify what you need to do and
then to set priorities. When you are thinking about time management you need
to consider activities such as
attendance at lectures and seminars

independent study
time for accessing resources and materials, for example, information
searching, visiting the library
paid employment or voluntary work
sports and social activities
personal and family time
The following factors are all useful tips to becoming an effective time manager:
Identifying goals
The first step is to identify short-term and long-term goals
Getting organised
Buy and use a diary or wall planner whichever you prefer
Keep a to-do list daily, weekly, for the semester
Organise your study space
Make sure you have the right equipment and stationery
Set up and organise simple filing systems
Invest time in learning how to use a computer
Invest time in learning how to access and use information sources
Identify useful support and help services within the University
23
Sort out key documents and information

Make sure you have your module handbooks
Identify key dates, including examination dates or submission dates for
assignments; make a note in your diary of all such dates, or put them all onto
your wall planner
Module leaders and tutors are not expected to answer questions about personal
timetables and schedules. This information is provided by the appropriate HUBS
administrative office.
Produce a work schedule
Many people find it helpful to work backwards from key dates and to work
out a schedule of study times
Keep up-to-date
Check your University email address, eBridge, notice board etc. on a regular
basis for any changes to teaching timetable, assessment submission dates etc
It is up to you to keep upto-date your lecturers

and the support staff do
not have time to track you
down to give you specific
information personally
Key factors in completing specific tasks

Once you have created your framework for good time management you can
begin to look at the individual tasks. You will now have your list of tasks for the
semester, you will have noted them in your diary and on your wall-planner, and
so you can begin to tackle each individual task. The following is a list of factors to
help you in your day-to-day management of time.
24
Identify each individual task.

Manage the tasks establish your priorities, identify when you will work on it
and when it will be completed. Record this in your diary or wall planner.
Always build in some flexibility to allow for the unexpected.
Break down the tasks into smaller parts and think about how you will
complete them. Identify activities that involve working with other people and
those which involve accessing information resources. Be aware that you need
to build in additional time to allow for materials not being available or delays
in meeting up with people.
Many students find it useful to prioritise their tasks. One way of doing this is
to identify the
urgent tasks
important tasks
Another approach is to identify

must do
need to do
nice to do
Whenever you are carrying out a task be really clear about what you are
trying to achieve. Keep a detailed record of what you do and resources that
you have used. This is essential in the write-up stages of your work.
Allow time for technical failures e.g. print out your work well in advance of
the hand-in time so that you are not caught out by last minute technical
problems.
Review your work and schedule. There will be times during your studies
where prioritising itself becomes a priority do not be afraid of spending an
hour of your precious time reviewing your time management plans.
Reflect on your experiences and learn from your mistakes.
Closing comments
Time management is a skill that you only need to perfect once once learnt it
will stay with you and will be a skill that you will use throughout your working
and personal life.
It is worthwhile spending some time learning how to manage your time.
Different techniques work for different people and we suggest that you explore
and use a range of techniques until you find the one that suits your working
style.
25
However, time management is not simply about organising your time in order to
complete all the tasks required of you by the University. It is also about ensuring
you have ample time for rest and relaxation, sports and other activities, for
socialising with newly-made friends, or spending time with your family.
26
Chapter 4
Information Skills
Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to guide you to useful tutorials and resources on
finding and evaluating information. It provides information on starting points
for finding out more about information sources available from the University
library and the Internet. It also provides guidance on evaluating information
sources.
During your time as a student you will need to use a wide range of printed
information sources including books, journals and reports, as well as electronic
sources, including e-journals, databases and websites. You may also need to
contact organisations or individuals for specific information.
You may be quite experienced in using and navigating the Internet and while
this may be useful for general searching you will find that your university studies
require you to develop advanced information skills so that you can identify and
use reliable and credible academic information sources. Our experience is that
students often think that they are effective Internet searchers because they can
use Google. However effective searching involves more skills than the
ability to use Google or Google Scholar, so you are advised to spend
some time developing the more sophisticated Internet searching
skills that are required for academic study. The key skill that you should
develop here is that of judgement can you trust this source? Is it reliable? Is it
credible in the context of academic study and research?
27
Sites such as Wikipedia can be very unreliable and of doubtful quality since they
contain unreferenced articles which are not peer-reviewed. DO NOT USE
WIKIPEDIA IN YOUR ACADEMIC STUDIES.
The Internet is a source of two different kinds of information: firstly, it is used to
distribute information that has previously been published in another source; and
secondly, it is used to disseminate information that is only available on the
Internet. It is very important that you take the trouble to find the proper
reference for materials that have been obtained through the Internet. This is
outlined in Chapter 8. In the second case i.e. material that is only available
through the Internet you need to be concerned about the quality and validity of
the information. This is considered in the section on Evaluating Information
Sources.
Finding your way around the library

The library provides access to information resources in both physical and virtual
formats. As a new student you will find it helpful to visit and explore the library.
The staff provide many leaflets to guide you to relevant information sources.
There is a physical Enquiry desk on the ground floor of the library and you will
find the staff here responsive and helpful.
The University Library site is available at www.hull.ac.uk/lib/.
Guidance on information skills with relevant handouts is available at
www.hull.ac.uk/lib/infoskills/.
Information about Information skills courses is available at
www.hull.ac.uk/lib/infoskills/courses.html.
Introduction to the Internet

TONIC an introduction to the Internet
www.netskills.ac.uk/onlinecourses/tonic.
28
Using subject information sources

Internet Business Manager a tutorial on Internet information skills
for business management students
www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/business-manager.
Internet Economist a tutorial on Internet information skills for
economics students
www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/interneteconomist.
Internet for Leisure Sport and Recreation a tutorial on Internet
information skills:
www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/sport
Internet for Travel and Tourism a tutorial on Internet information
skills
www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/travel
Electronic information sources
Access to the Universitys electronic information resources is available at
www.hull.ac.uk/lib/
Evaluating information sources

Once you have identified relevant information sources it is important to evaluate
them. This will help you to make sure that you provide accurate, reliable and upto-date information in your assignments.
Checklist for evaluating information sources
Is the information accurate?
What evidence is it based on?
How up-to-date is the information?
Does the information source repeat information available in other
reputable sources?
What topics are covered? Are there any omissions?
Is coverage of the material superficial or thorough?
Are the explanations and arguments logical and coherent?
Have any steps or discussion points been omitted?
29
Are there any other interpretations of this data?

What assumptions are made in this work?
Does the author identify the weaknesses in their work?
Who is the author? What is the authors background? Is the
author a credible source?
Who has sponsored the information resource? Is this likely to
result in bias in the information?
Closing comments
Learning how to identify and access relevant information sources will help you
to be successful in your university studies. It is also an important life skill and
you will find that you will use your information skills during your working life
too.
If you are having problems

finding information then
contact the university
library either in person or
through the online
reference desk at
http://www.acstest.hull.ac.
uk/lib/libhelp.
Alternatively ask your
tutor, supervisor or
programme leader for
help.
30
Chapter 5
Making Notes
Introduction
Making notes is a skill that will help you to manage the information content of
your programme of study. Making notes is something that you will do in many
different situations: lectures; seminars; tutorials; reading a book or journal;
surfing the Internet; watching television or a video. It is a very important
practical skill and your notes will help you to
identify and understand key ideas
learn key ideas and information
keep a record of information for future use
prepare for examinations
The purpose of this chapter is to provide help and guidance on making notes.
The following table shows the difference between making notes and taking notes.
31
Making notes
Taking notes
This involves making your own

record of key information and ideas.
You will use your own words. You
may add your own ideas or
questions, or make links to the work
of others.
Used during lectures or reading.
This involves copying information

word for word from another source
e.g. tutor, book, handbook.
Used when copying specific

information, for example, advice on
an assignment, details about room
changes.
Making good notes

During your university career you will make notes from a variety of sources,
including lectures, books, and the Internet. Making good notes is about
identifying and selecting relevant information.
Think about why you are making notes.
Do you want an overview of the subject?

Do you want to record extremely detailed information?
Will you be sharing your notes with a friend?
Are you looking for a specific piece of information?
This is important as it will affect how you make notes. There are different ways
of making notes. You can
32
list main headings and topics keyword notes

draw a Mind Map or spider diagram
use software such as Inspiration
copy out specific details, for example, a quotation from a book, or factual
information
BEWARE
Direct copying (verbatim)
or close paraphrasing
(putting into your own
words but still closely
following the structure and
argument contained in the
text) may lead to
plagiarism in assessed
work.
Always keep notes of your
sources, for example, book
details, so that you can
reference them.
This is covered in Chapter
8.
It is usually impracticable to try and copy all the information presented to you
during a lecture. Instead, listen to what the lecturer is saying, read any visual
aids, and make notes from your understanding. This will be a summary, the key
points, or details about the original source.
Spend some time after the lecture, or after you have finished reading an article,
reviewing your notes. Ask yourself some questions.
Is there anything you can add?

Is there something that you might benefit from discussing with a fellow
student?
Should you do some additional reading on the topic?
To engage fully in the process of making good notes it is a good idea to ask
questions within your notes and to consider the accuracy and relevance of what
you are reading. Useful questions to start off this process include
so what?
how can this be verified?
33
how can this be backed-up?

do other researchers agree with this position?
what assumptions does the author make?
Finally, you may find that in the early days of your study programme you make
copious notes, but as you become more experienced you might make fewer, but
more specific, ones.
Different people make

notes in different ways.
Do not be distracted during
a lecture by people making
different types of notes to
you everyone develops
their own style. What is
important is that you find
and use a method that
works for you.
Advice on how to make notes

Start with background details, for example, lecture notes should include the
module title, the date, the title of the lecture, and the lecturer.
Make sure you can read your notes.
Only use one side of the paper. This makes it easier to organise your notes for
planning or revision.
Leave spaces for additional notes or comments.
Use arrows, symbols, diagrams. This will speed up the note-making process.
To help avoid unintentional plagiarism make notes in your own words. DO
NOT COPY WORD-BY-WORD when making notes from books, journals,
Internet.
Try reading a relatively long section, CLOSE THE BOOK OR SWITCH OFF
THE COMPUTER SCREEN, and then make the notes in your own words
without looking at the original source. This checks your understanding and
avoids intentional plagiarism.
Use highlighter pens or a colour-coding scheme to distinguish different
sections of notes.
Notes should be concise, clear and consistent.
34
Review your notes.

File your notes be organised. It is no good discovering two
months later that you have lost them.
Working with others

Some students find it helpful to work with others and to exchange notes and
discuss their subject. This is a good idea as it improves learning and enables you
to exchange and share ideas. A word of warning. Beware of collaborative
working on assignments as this may lead to accusations of
plagiarism. DO NOT work together as a group and produce a model answer
that you individually present in an assignment or exam. This type of collusion
may lead to accusations of plagiarism or unfair means. The safest idea is to work
collaboratively while you are learning a subject and to produce your assignments
independently. See page 65 for further information about avoiding collusion in
assessment.
Referencing your notes and plagiarism

It is very important to keep full details of the information sources you use when
making notes. You will need to include this information in your list of references.
If you do not include this information in your assessed work then you may find
that you fall foul of the Code of Practice on the Use of Unfair Means.
You should also keep your notes after you submit your work. They may be
helpful in your defence if an accusation of plagiarism is made against you. In
addition, you may find them helpful for revision as well as other learning and
teaching activities.
More about this is in

Chapter 8
35
Closing comments
Making notes is a skill that you will develop as you progress through your
studies. Like time management, making notes is a personal matter and you may
develop a method totally different to that of your friends. Providing your method
works for you, do not worry if it differs from that of other people.
36
Chapter 6
Academic Reading Skills
Introduction
Academic reading skills are different from leisure reading skills. Academic
reading involves identifying new ideas, understanding different perspectives and
developing your understanding about a particular topic.
Many students groan when they receive a reading list and wonder how they will
ever read all the books on it. You dont normally need to read every book or
indeed whole books. What you need to do is to identify and follow up key ideas.
There are different approaches to reading that will help you to read effectively
and stay focused on your studies. It is worthwhile spending some time on
developing your academic reading skills as this will help you to focus your
reading and will save you time.
37
Improving your reading skills

This involves the following processes
Purpose
Think about why you are reading. Ask yourself why you are reading.
Is it to
explore and understand the subject in greater depth?
obtain specific information?
complete an assignment?
Identify relevant information sources
Identify key information sources. The reading list in your module handbook
provides a good starting point. Your lecturers may provide you with additional
reading materials during a lecture or through eBridge. Carry out an information
search (see Chapter 4).
Reading techniques
There are a number of different approaches to reading.
Scanning involves looking at the item to decide whether or not it is relevant.
Check the introduction, conclusions, contents pages, look at pictures and
diagrams, and the index. This means you can quickly assess the content and
decide whether or not it is relevant for your purpose.
Skimming enables you to identify specific information that may be useful to
you. Skimming involves using the index to check the contents of the information
sources and then surfing through specific sections or chapters.
Deep reading involves reading whole sections, chapters or a complete book
and is an active process. You may be making notes or a mind map. As you are
reading you may be thinking about how your findings relate to a question raised
in a tutorial session or in an assignment. If you are reading your own materials
you may mark relevant passages with a highlighter pen or post-it notes. But you
should never make any marks on library materials.
38
Critical reading involves evaluating the information source and criticising it.
You may want to compare it with the work of other authors, assess the
methodology, or criticise it in the light of your own experiences.
Critical reading is time consuming and it is worth spending time developing this
approach to reading students who are critical readers often do well in
assignments!
Strategies for effective reading

Here are strategies that will help you develop your academic reading skills.
Be active. Think about why you are reading and what you want to gain from
the information source.
Choose the right time. You might find that you are more alert during the
morning and that, by evening, your attention span is short. Read at times
when you are most alert. If you are not in the mood for actively reading
something do not do it. Place the book to one side and tackle another task
until you feel ready to read the material more effectively.
Work in the right environment. You should be somewhere quiet where you
feel comfortable. Choose a place where you will not be interrupted. Make sure
that you are able to make good notes during the reading process.
Reduce distractions. Turn off the television and your mobile
phone.
Be selective. Do not think that you should read everything in depth. Time will
not allow you scope to approach in this way every book, journal, newspaper,
or lecture hand-out that you will see during your period of study.
Dont be afraid to experiment. Pick a journal article and read it, adopting
each of the techniques to demonstrate to yourself what can be achieved from
each strategy and if, in fact, there was much more to be gained from a more
detailed reading than a skimmed reading.
Use a wide range of sources. Relevant sources may include: friends or
members of staff, watching a relevant television programme, keeping up to
date with current affairs information, printed books and journals, resources
on the Internet, market research reports, company annual reports, etc.
39
See also Chapter 4
Closing comments
You will find that your reading skills develop with practise. New undergraduate
students will have time to practise their new skills before any formal assessment
takes place. It is expected that postgraduate students will already have achieved
a certain level of skill from their previous studies; although you may find that
these skills need refreshing.
40
Chapter 7
Writing Skills
Introduction
The ability to write clear and logical assignments or reports is an essential
academic skill and it is also an essential professional skill. Individuals who can
present well-written reports containing ideas that are clearly backed up by
evidence are able to influence the thinking of their colleagues.
Written assignments are a very common method of assessment as they provide
your tutors with an opportunity to assess your knowledge and understanding of
a subject area. Writing is a form of active learning; if you can explain something
to another person in writing then it clearly demonstrates that you understand it.
In fact struggling to find the right words often helps to make the ideas clearer in
your mind writing is, in itself, a way of learning. Written assignments will
cover all or some of the learning outcomes of a module. The specific
requirements for each module are explained in the module handbook.
Writing assignments
The following general guidelines may be used for carrying out any piece of
assessed work and they are particularly relevant for writing reports or essays. If
you are writing a dissertation then you will be provided with additional
guidance.
41
Analyse the task

Before you start any piece of written work you should ask yourself the following
questions.
What is its purpose?

Who is it for?
What are my aims?
Which form of writing will best accomplish these aims?
What structure will best suit the purpose and aims of this piece of writing?
The main factors that will determine what mark you receive for a piece of written
work will be:
Did you actually answer the question?

To what extent did you critically respond to the question and not just
regurgitate other peoples knowledge?
Did you keep to the point and use relevant information and
evidence to support your arguments?
How is your work distinguished does it stand out from the
mundane, is it original, does it stretch the boundaries of
knowledge?
Assignments that receive a poor mark often demonstrate the following

characteristics
badly researched
lack an introduction and conclusion
lack focus
do not answer the question set by the tutor
do not provide supporting evidence
poor grammar and spelling
lack references or contain incorrect references
do not satisfy the required word limit
Terminology of assessment questions

It is worthwhile spending time analysing the assessment question(s) in an
assignment, an examination, or a presentation. Do not glance at a question then
42
rush off trying to locate vast amounts of information without having a clear
understanding of what is being asked of you.
Spend time identifying the key words of a question. Look at the verbs as these
will indicate both what the content of your answer should be and the process or
method you should adopt to provide that information. Underline them. Spend
time thinking about exactly what is being asked of you. If you are unclear about
anything, you should consult your tutor before starting work on an assignment.
The following verbs are frequently used by tutors in assessment questions:
Words used by tutors in assignments, examinations and presentations
Account for
Analyse
give reasons for, explain the causes of

break up into parts, examine in detail the elements or
structure of, investigate, a combination of criticise and
evaluate
Assess
how successful/unsuccessful, important/unimportant,
consider the points for and against
Comment on
give your own point of view with supporting evidence
Compare
what are the similarities/differences, which is best/worst,
provide a conclusion as to which is preferable
Consider
weigh up the advantages/disadvantages, pros and cons,
think carefully about, discuss
Contrast
consider both similarities and differences but emphasise
the differences between
Criticise
make a judgement using evidence to support it, consider
all the positive and negative aspects of the topic
Define
give the meaning/s of
Demonstrate
show how, use examples
Describe
give a detailed or graphic account of, write in detail about
the characteristics of
Differentiate/distinguish explain the differences between
Discuss
give reasons for and against, examine by argument,
examine the implications look at the wider ramifications
of
43
Evaluate
Examine
Explain
Explore
Illustrate
Interpret
Justify
Outline
Relate
Review
State
Summarise
Trace
give your judgment about the merit or importance of

something, back up your judgment by discussing
evidence, make an appraisal of the worth of something
consider in close detail, in depth
examine and give reasons for; interpret and account for;
examine thoroughly, consider from various viewpoints
give examples that make the point clear
decipher the meaning of, make clear and explicit
give reasons to support an argument or action
indicate the most important aspects, ignoring the minor
detail
narrate or tell, show the connections between things
make a survey of, examine the subject carefully
write briefly and clearly the main points of
give a concise account of the main points omitting detail
and examples
show how something has developed from start to finish,
provide an overview of the development of something
Plan your assignment

Work out a general structure or framework for your work. Some students prefer
to write out a list of headings and sub headings while others prefer to produce a
diagram, for example, mind map or spider diagram. This is a draft overview and
you may find that you need to make changes as you work on the assignment.
Guidance on information
skills is covered in more
detail in Chapter 4
Identify and use a range of information sources

You will need to identify and use a range of academic information sources.
Remember to allow time for this you may need to recall items from the library
or obtain them from a range of different sources.
44
Identify key ideas and supporting evidence

As you work through your information sources you will need to identify key ideas
and also supporting evidence. Make notes and keep a record of all relevant
information sources, for writing your references.
Write your first draft
This involves working with your general structure or framework and starting to
write notes under each topic. It is often best to leave writing the introduction and
conclusion until the end.
There are two approaches to academic writing. The first, or traditional, approach
is to use a serious and formal impersonal tone. It involves presenting different
ideas and the evidence to support them. This means not writing in the first
person (not using my, I, we) and presenting an objective and depersonalised
approach. You should always use language that is clear, concise, and
unambiguous. One method of identifying an appropriate style is to look at
textbooks recommended by your tutors.
The second approach is to use a more personal style. This involves writing in the
first person, using I. This approach is often used in learning journals or
workplace projects. It is increasingly used in academic writing in the discipline
of management.
If you are in doubt whether to use an impersonal or a personal style then ask
your tutor.
See the Study Advice

Service leaflet How to
write academic English,
available online at
www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice
45
Reviewing your work

The first completed draft of an assignment will never be good enough to submit.
It is important to review your work and to check the content making sure that
you have met the assessment requirements

your introduction clearly introduces your work and also the topic
the ideas are presented in a logical order
the ideas are supported by evidence
your conclusions follow on from the ideas and evidence that you have
presented
your work is based on a good range of relevant and up-to-date references
If time permits it is a good idea to leave a piece of work for a day or two and then
come back to it. This will help you to see new ways to improve the work.
If you are unclear about the correct use of English, you can look at the appendix
of this handbook. Alternatively, ask for help at the Study Advice Service.
You may find that you need to re-write parts of your work. You may see that you
have skimmed over an important topic and that you need to do some more
research so that you provide a well balanced account. Time spent reviewing your
work is likely to earn you additional marks as it will improve the quality of the
final assignment.
Editing your work
Editing involves checking the presentation of your assignment. Remember to
double check any assignment requirements provided for you by your tutor. If
you are writing a dissertation then it is important that you double check the
presentation requirements given in your handbook. Whatever your assignment
you will need to make sure that
46
it includes a title, date and your Student ID number

you have met the word count requirements (you are normally allowed the
word count identified in the module handbook plus 10% or minus 10% any
greater variation may result in a loss of marks)
if you use headings and sub-headings then these are meaningful and
consistent
there are no missing or duplicate words
the grammar is correct

spelling is correct
the references are correct
the whole assignment is clearly written
It is best to edit your work at least twice as this will help you to identify different
areas for improvement.
Study Advice Service

The Study Advice Service
offers assistance in helping
students to develop their
writing skills, and for nonEnglish speaking students,
the Language Institute will
provide more specific
guidance.
All students should check
their work for spelling and
grammar before
submission. It is not wise
to place your trust blindly
in spell or grammar
checkers provided with
your word processor.
A students work will not,
however, be penalised if
their style or their use of
the English language is not
100% perfect.
47
Presenting your work

Read the instructions that are provided in your module handbook or that are
available from the undergraduate or postgraduate offices. Here are some general
guidelines
Your work should be word processed.

Use fonts Times New Roman or Arial.
Use font size of 11 or 12.
Use 1.5 line-spacing.
Leave an adequate margin on all four sides of the piece of paper.
Do not indent paragraphs but leave an extra space between them.
Long quotations should be in single line spacing and indented at both sides.
References should be in single line spacing and with a space between each
separate reference and formatted with a hanging indent in order to
distinguish between items.
Assignments should be stapled in the top left hand corner.
Ensure your assignment has a cover sheet that states your Student ID
number, programme of study, module title and tutor, assignment title,
submission date. Do NOT include your name on the assignment but make
sure that your Student ID is clearly visible. Make sure your name is not in a
running footer either.
Submission
You will be given instructions on when and where to submit your assignment.
Students are required to submit their assignments in two forms
a bar-coded paper submission (one copy with a cover sheet), and

an electronic submission to Turnitin
It is important that you follow the submission guidelines. If you fail to submit
your work correctly, e.g. you do not use Turnitin correctly, then you may be
penalized. Allow plenty of time, at least three hours, to use Turnitin and submit
your work correctly.
There are very few excuses that will be accepted for late or non-submission of
assignments (see your Programme Handbook or Guidelines for Mitigating
Circumstances and Absence from Examinations and Coursework Extensions
with Good Cause available in the University Student Handbook). Make sure
48
that you leave yourself plenty of time to meet the deadline. Remember that there
may be many other students also queuing up to submit their assignment!
Normally computer failure is NOT accepted as a reason for late submission.
Make sure that you keep back-up copies of your work and print your work early.
In your time management allow for technology breakdowns!
Feedback on assignments
You should read carefully the feedback you receive on your assignment. Your
tutor will provide guidance on the strong points of your work and also areas
where it could be improved. You can use the suggestions for improvement as a
means of gaining a better mark in your next assignment.
However, please be aware that work achieving a poor mark cannot be
resubmitted for a better grade later in the year. You should also check for any
generic feedback through eBridge.
Essays
A good, well-ordered, easy to read, logical essay should comprise the following
components:
Introduction
The introduction should state your interpretation of the title and demonstrate
that you understand it by outlining the way in which you intend to answer it. It
should prepare the reader for what will follow.
49
BEWARE
Direct copying (verbatim)
or close paraphrasing (put
into your own words but
still closely following the
structure and argument
contained in the text) may
lead to plagiarism in
assessed work.
Always keep notes of your
sources, for example, book
details, so that you can
reference them.
This is covered in Chapter
8.
The introduction should also provide a brief outline of the information and
arguments that you are going to consider and why you have chosen that
approach. However, be wary of being repetitive or simply providing a list of what
your assignment contains and do make sure that the essay actually does contain
what you say it will. Many pieces of work lose the markers interest within the
first few sentences, so spend time making sure that your introduction is
distinguished and captivating.
It is often easier to write the introduction last.
Main body of essay
The main body forms the substance of a piece of work. It will present your
arguments with supporting evidence that you have prepared in response to the
question that was set. Ensure that each paragraph makes a specific and
necessary point, usually with the first line of each paragraph presenting the point
that you intend to discuss within that paragraph.
Your essay must flow from one paragraph to another and use linking comments
to provide continuity between the paragraphs. Maintain a clear focus and be
careful not to digress from the particular topic under discussion. It is important
to ensure that you provide evidence to justify your claims. It is a good idea to
50
include a few short quotations to support your findings and these also
demonstrate your use of different information sources. Providing relevant
examples that illustrate the points you make can bring your writing to life and
show that you understand your material.
Conclusion
The conclusion should provide a summary of the key ideas or issues, and your
concluding thoughts that either answer or respond to the main question. Your
conclusion should not include new ideas or evidence. Similar to the introduction,
it helps if the conclusion is not repetitive but gives a reflective overview of the
issues discussed and ends with a snappy sentence or two that maintains the
markers interest to the very end.
Bibliography
At the end of your assignment you need to include a bibliography or list of
references. It is important to use the title Bibliography for this section of your
work as this will mean this section is ignored by Turnitin. Remember to include
all the items that you referred to in the assignment in your bibliography.
Chapter 8 provides
examples of the format the
bibliography should take
The bibliography is a vital and essential part of any piece of written work. It
serves to provide the reader with a comprehensive list of the sources and
material that you have referred to or quoted from in your essay. It further
provides sufficient information to enable the reader to locate them if they want
to clarify a point or seek further information.
Tutors will use it to check on your information sources and they may also alert
you to an important reference that has been omitted from your work. If you do
not use a particular source then do not include it in your bibliography. Your
tutor will be able to identify from the content of your assignment whether or not
you have referred to that source. Trying to convince the reader you have
undertaken more research than you have actually done is deceitful.
51
Writing reports
Report writing is a key skill that you need to develop; you are likely to be asked
to write reports when you work in businesses or other organisations.
A report is a formal and structured document normally used to present factual
findings following some specific research. It differs from an essay in that it has a
formal structure with headings and subheadings. Essays also usually include
your opinions while essays do not. Reports tend to have a standard format.
However different companies or academic departments might use different
formats so you should ensure you are aware of the necessary format before
embarking on the compilation of a report. Below we have provided you with two
standard formats.
Short report format
This format is useful for relatively short pieces of work e.g. up to 3000 words
long.
Title
Summary
Contents page (if appropriate)
Introduction (introduces topic, context, scope, audience)
Methodology (if appropriate)
Theme 1 (presents the first theme or topic using an appropriate heading)
Theme 2 (presents the second theme or topic using an appropriate heading)
Theme 3 (presents the third theme or topic using an appropriate heading)
Discussion (interpretation or analysis of your findings)
Recommendations (if appropriate)
Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendix (if appropriate)
Long report format

This format is used for reports in many businesses and other organisations.
52
Title
Abstract / summary
Contents
Executive summary (a brief summary of the report e.g. a single page of A4,
written for busy executives)
Terms of Reference / Introduction (statement of what you were asked to
investigate, by whom, your aims and objectives, what date the report is
required by)
Procedure / introduction (what you did to gather facts, sources of
information used, methodology of research)
Findings / results (report your findings but do not discuss them, use graphic
illustrations if necessary)
Discussions (interpretation or analysis of your findings)
Conclusions / Recommendations (the main points for consideration drawn
from your findings, do your findings prove or disprove your hypothesis?)
Date / Signature
Appendix
Bibliography
Closing comments
Tutors will tell you that they find it enjoyable reading an interesting and
challenging piece of work. If you can satisfy a markers expectations of what they
wanted the student to fulfil in an assignment then you will gain a good mark.
Remember that many of the Business School modules have large numbers of
students taking them, and if you make an effort to produce something that
stands out from the rest, you will receive a mark that will reflect this.
Dont forget to look at Appendix A for guidance on English grammar.
It is worth mentioning again that the Study Advice Service offers assistance in
helping students to develop their writing skills, and for non-English speaking
students, the Language Institute will provide more specific guidance. All
students are advised to check the spelling and grammar of their work before
submission. It is not wise to place your trust blindly in spell or grammar
checkers provided with your word processor.
The Study Advice Service does NOT edit or proof read whole assignments.
However, they will look at a section of your work, e.g. one page, and also answer
specific questions.
53
Chapter 8
Referencing, Bibliography and
Plagiarism
Introduction
This is one of the crucial areas that any student experienced or novice must
fully understand. All Business School students should make time to read this
chapter, noting its contents, and implement its advice and guidance in all pieces
of assessment that they undertake whilst at the University of Hull.
Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used and proves that
you are not attempting to pass the work of others off as your own. It is important
to reference your work as this will
give your work academic credibility

demonstrate how your work links into your subject area
prevent accusations of stealing other peoples ideas or words (plagiarism)
Credit must be given when quoting, citing, or paraphrasing (that is, summarising
someone elses idea and reproducing it in a shortened form, in your own words)
the work of other people. There are no exceptions to this rule. Failure to
acknowledge the sources you have used in writing your assignment is likely to
result in an allegation of plagiarism being made against you.
54
If you are unsure whether the information that you have provided should be
referenced or not, then it is better to provide one to be on the safe side. The
consequences of providing too many references are far less severe than those of
not providing them at all or providing a list full of omissions.
You do not need to reference common knowledge e.g. Tony Blair was the prime
minister of the UK in 2004.
Overview: how to reference
Your essay or report should contain a reference to other peoples work. This
indicates to the reader that you are using other peoples ideas. Here are some
standard ways of referencing in your text:
You need to
reference other
peoples work:
Example
Explanation
If you quote
another author
word for word
David McConnell suggests

that students in
cooperative environments
perform at a higher level
than those working in
competitive or
individualistic
environments. (2002,
19).
Date only, because the

authors name is already
clearly given; and page
number because it is a
direct quotation.
If you are using

someones ideas,
theories or
models - using
your words
rather than their
words.
David McConnell (2002)

provides an overview of
collaborative and cooperative learning and he
identifies the following
benefits:
This sentence is
paraphrased, that means
the student has used their
own words, and they
mention the source of these
ideas by including the
authors surname and date.
55
If you refer to a
specific fact or
piece of
information
Between 1979 and 1999,

the number of women in
employment has risen by
6% (DfEE 2000).
The student provides the

source of this fact and the
date of publication. This
means that the readers can
check the fact for
themselves.
If you use
someones ideas
that are described
in another book
McConnell (2002)
describes the work of
Johnson and Johnson
(1999) who....
The student hasnt read the

work of Johnson and
Johnson (1999) and doesnt
want to mislead the reader,
so it is made clear where
the ideas of Johnson and
Johnson have come from
i.e. the work of McConnell.
The details of all the work you refer to in your assignment are then given in a list
at the end of your written work. The title for this section is Bibliography. If you
use this heading then the plagiarism detecting software, Turnitin, will ignore the
section.
Example bibliography
DfEE (2000), Labour Market and Skill Trends, London, HMSO.
McConnell, D. (2002), Implementing Computer Supported Cooperative
Learning, London, Kogan Page.
Referencing
There are several different ways of referencing. The Business Schools preferred
style is the Harvard System, often called the author date system and used in the
examples above. In this system the text reference is kept as brief as possible and
contains the authors surname plus date. If there is more than one author then it
is presented as author1, and author2, date, e.g. (Smith and Jones, 2007). If you
are using a verbatim quotation (the words of the author) then you will need to
56
include the page number in the format; author, date, page number, e.g.
(Johnson, 2007, 32).
This information directs readers to your bibliography at the end of your work.
This will be arranged in alphabetical order so that they can find the full reference
for the work. They will then be able to obtain a copy of that work and read it for
themselves. You are therefore strongly recommended to familiarise yourself with
the Harvard System and to use it consistently in any piece of work that you
produce for an assessment.
You are urged not to use

footnotes in any of your
written pieces of work
When you are working on your assignments and reading your course materials
you are advised to keep a record of all the items and the basic information
needed which will allow your reader to find the original to which you refer. This
is outlined here:
For books
The name of the author (surname + initials); date i.e. year of publication; the
title of the text; the edition (unless it is the first edition); and any further details
necessary to track down the source publishers details (name and place), e.g.
Cottrell, Stella. (2003) Skills for success: the personal development planning
handbook, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
For journals
title of the paper; the title of the journal and volume, issue and spread of pages
over which the article is found.
Many journals and reports are now available from gateway services such as
JSTOR and Business Source Premier. In this situation the web address alone is
an insufficient reference, because it shows only the access mechanism used to
get the material and does not properly identify the source of the ideas or the
57
arguments e.g. Orshansky, M. (1965) Counting the poor: another look at the
poverty profile, Social Security Bulletin, 28 (January), pp.3-29.
For electronic journals
title of the paper; the title of the journal and volume, issue and spread of pages
over which the article is found; web address plus date accessed e.g. Harnack, A
and Kleppinger, E. (1997) Creating models for electronic citations, Ariadne
[online], 7. Available: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue7/kairas/ [Accessed 15
August 2008]
For websites
The name of the author (surname and initials) or organisation; date i.e. year of
publication; the title of the page or paper; web address plus date accessed e.g.
Shields, G and Walton, G. (2001), Cite them right How to organise
bibliographical references [online], Newcastle, University of Newcastle,
Available: http://www.unn.ac.uk/central/isd/cite/ [Accessed 25 February 2005]
For chapters in an edited book
(a book edited by an editor, which consists of chapters written by several
different authors)
The name of the author(s) of the chapter (surname + initials); date i.e. year of
publication of the book; the complete title of the chapter, including any
subtitle(s); the word In followed by a colon; the name of the editor(s) of the
book in which the chapter appears (surname + initials) followed by the word
ed(s); the complete title of the book, including any subtitle(s); the place of
publication; the name of the publisher; the inclusive page numbers of the
chapter within the book.
Law, D. (1986) Doctors and books. In: Baker, D., ed. Student reading needs.
London: Library Association. pp.88-98.
58
Common questions
What if the source has no named author?
Use the corporate author, if there is one for example, BBC Newsnight, or the
name of the newspaper or magazine where the article you are quoting from or
citing is not signed. If the information comes from a government department
and you cannot identify the individual author then give the name of the
government department. If there is no corporate author given, consider whether
this source is credible enough to be used in an academic assignment.
Anonymous information is not always reliable. If you do decide to use it, identify
this source with the author name of Anon and provide the full reference in the
list of references under the name Anon.
How do I reference my own work?
Students rarely need to reference their own work e.g. another assignment. If you
do need to reference another assignment then use the general guidelines for
books (top of p.56).
BEWARE: If you use the same information and text in more than one
assignment then you may be guilty of a special form of plagiarism autoplagiarism or self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is treated as seriously as other
forms of plagiarism. It is quickly identified by Turnitin. Make sure you do not
auto-plagiarise.
What if the book or article has two authors?
If there are two authors to one text then give both surnames, e.g. (Smith and
Jones, 1999). If there are more than two authors to one text then give the first
surname followed by et al. e.g. (Brown et al, 1995).
What if I want to keep referring to the same text?
You will often be able to do so without repeating the same reference several
times. Where you do need to repeat the reference, do repeat it. This is preferable
to using the Latin ibid that used to be common practice.
What if I want to refer to two books by the same author?
If an author has written two books in the same year and you want to refer to each
of them, then indicate the different texts using alphabet numbers. e.g. Smith
(1997a) and Smith (1997b).
59
How do I reference an email?

The appropriate format is:
Allan, B., (barbara.allan@hull.ac.uk) 20 May 2005. Writing Essays. 20 May.
Email to: Sheena Another (s.another@hull.ac.uk).
How do I reference lecture notes?
You are advised NOT to quote lecture notes in your assignments. Lectures
provide a general guide to a subject or topic. You are expected to find and refer
to the original sources, e.g. journal article or textbook, the lecturer has used in
preparing the lecture.
How do I present a short quotation?
Place double quotation marks ( ) around all words that are being quoted. You
should also include any particular punctuation, spelling or italics of the original.
You must give as reference for your quotation the authors surname, year of
publication and the page number(s). Place these details in the text in rounded
brackets, e.g. (Smith, 1987, 15). Note that the page number is not preceded by p
or pp or pg.
Students in cooperative environments perform at a higher level than those
working in competitive or individualistic environments. (McConnell, 2002, 19)
You should not give the page numbers of a quotation in your list of references.
How do I shorten a quotation?
If you do not want to include a full sentence from the source you are quoting, you
can shorten a direct quotation by the use of omission marks () However, the
quotation must still make sense in its shortened form so it might be necessary to
add an extra word or two into a quotation to ensure it reads correctly. These
extra words should be contained within square [ ] brackets.
How do I know if a source is appropriate to use as an academic
reference?
This can be particularly a problem with online sources and weblogs. Consider
whether the person you are quoting is credible.
60
What do I do if I want to quote something that contains something

that is inaccurate, grammatically incorrect or misspelled?
Use the indication [sic] within a quotation if it contains a claim or phrase that
you feel is incorrect, outdated, or unacceptable, or a word or phrase that is
grammatically incorrect. It should be inserted directly after the phrase to which
it refers e.g. Jane Smith said I got mad [sic] with the worker.
How do I set out quotations?
Short quotations (a few words only, less than one line of print) can be
incorporated within the body of your argument. Make sure the sense flows
properly between the quotation and surrounding text. Use quotation marks.
Place the reference details at the end of the sentence in which the
quotation occurs. For example:
Within the Gillette company, out of every forty-five carefully
developed new-product ideas, three make it into the development
stage but only one eventually reaches the marketplace (Armstrong
and Kotler, 1999, 263).
Always use quotation

marks at the start and end
of ALL quotations
Longer quotations should be separated from the body of your essay by a space
before and after the quotation. The quotation, with quotation marks, should be
indented on either side, and the reference should appear in brackets on the line
immediately below. Use single spacing for the quotation.
Dupont has found that it can take as many as three thousand raw
ideas to produce just two winning commercial products, and
pharmaceuticals companies may require six thousand to eight
thousand starting ideas for every successful commercial new
product (Armstrong and Kotler, 1999, 263).
Continue your essay using normal spacing. The full reference for the above
quotations would appear in your list of references as:
61
Armstrong, Gary and Kotler, Philip, (1999), Marketing: An Introduction, 5th

edn, New Jersey, Prentice Hall.
How do I reference information from the Internet?
The Internet is a source of two different kinds of information: firstly, it is used to
distribute information that has previously been published in another source; and
secondly, it is used to disseminate information that is only available on the
Internet. It is very important that you take the trouble to find the proper
reference for materials that have been obtained through the Internet. The first
case, i.e. material that has been published elsewhere, is shown in the following
two examples:
Nentwich, Michael, (1996), Opportunity structures for citizens participation:
the case of the European union, in European Integration online Papers
(EioP), Vol. 0 (1996) no.1, <http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/1996-001a htm>,
accessed 5/11/99.
Smith, F. (1994), Is there life on Mars?, The Telegraph, 14th March,
<http: //www.telegraph.co.uk>, accessed 8/6/95.
In the second case i.e. material that is only available from the Internet then you
will reference the material in the following manner:
BBC (2005), Healthy eating in schools, http://www.bbc.co.uk, accessed on
3/9/05.
Bibliography
A bibliography should appear at the end of your work and it should contain
details of all the information sources that you actually refer to or cite in your
text. Therefore, you must ensure that every piece of written work that you
submit for marking has a list of references that contains details of each and every
source that you have mentioned in your work.
The references should be listed alphabetically by authors surname. Use single
line spacing, using hanging indents to distinguish each separate reference or
with an extra space left between each reference. This is illustrated below.
62
You do not need to put a page reference for any particular detail or quotation in
your list of references. However, when you give details for an article in a
periodical, you should give the page numbers of the first and last pages.
Examples of the correct format for entries in a bibliography are given below. In
the sample below you will be able to see how to correctly reference books,
articles in periodicals (i.e. any form of publication that comes out regularly, such
as an academic journal, a professional magazine or a newspaper) and websites.
Example bibliography
Galliers, R. D. & Baker, B.S.H., (1995), Strategic information management, in
Jackson, T. (ed.), Cross-Cultural Management, Oxford, ButterworthHeinemann.
Handy, Charles, (1991), The Age of Unreason, 2nd edn, London, Arrow Books.
Keble, J., (1989), Management development through action learning, Journal
of Management Development, 8, no.2: 77-80.
Nixon, B. & Pitts, G., (1991), W.H.Smith adopts a new approach to developing
senior managers, Industrial and Commercial Training, 23, no.6: 3-10.
Nutt, P., (1984), Types of organisational decision processes, Administrative
Science Quarterly, 29: 414-52.
Noakes, Stephen, (1997), Consumer spice, Logistics Manager, (Nov. /Dec.), 67.
Nentwich, Michael, (1996), Opportunity structures for citizens participation:
the case of the European union, in European Integration online Papers
(EioP), Vol. 0 (1996) no.1, <http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/1996-001a htm>,
accessed 5/11/99.
Payne, R. and Pugh, D.S., (1971), Organisations as psychological environments,
in Warr, P.B. (ed.), Psychology at Work, Harmondsworth, Penguin.
Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H., (1982), In Search of Excellence, London,
Harper & Row.
Rowntree, D., (1996), Making open and distance learning work, The
Implementation of Open and Distance Learning, England, Open University
<http: //www-iet.open.ac.uk/pp/D.G.F.
ROWNTREE/MBL.htm.MOADLW.htm>, accessed 7/4/99.
Smith, F. (1994), Is there life on Mars?, The Telegraph, 14th March,
<http: //www.telegraph.co.uk>, accessed 8/6/95.
63
Both the Study Advice

Service and Library
provide handouts and
information on how to
present the different
sources that you use in a
list of references (see
Chapters 1 and 4)
Working in Groups
Some of your assessment activities will involve group work, that is, a group
presentation or a group project. In these cases, it is acceptable to produce a piece
of work that is a culmination of a joint effort, or includes work, ideas and
thoughts of both you and your colleagues working in the same group. The
principle behind group assessment activities is to give you some experience in
being part of, or perhaps leading, a team. It provides opportunities for you to
develop and demonstrate transferable skills such as communication,
negotiation, participation, compromise, decision-making, and obviously
teamwork. With this type of assessment activity you may be asked to identify the
role each group member took in producing the final product.
Many students find it helpful to form and work in informal study groups as this
gives opportunities to discuss ideas and concepts, forge friendships, and consult
one another over draft versions of their written assignments. Be aware that this
approach may introduce a certain element of danger if members of the group
then present very similar pieces of work. It is not acceptable for members of the
group to produce very similar pieces of work, that is, assignments that are either
identical or alike in either content or structure, or in their arguments and
conclusions. Therefore, although you are encouraged to discuss your work
during the preparation stages, you are discouraged from swapping or showing
your colleagues final versions of assignments. It is worth reminding you that if a
marker identifies two, or more, pieces of work that have similarities all students
involved will be asked to answer to a formal allegation of the use of unfair
means, or plagiarism. The consequences, should the allegations be proven, are
laid out in the next section.
If you have any queries about forming a study group you are advised to seek
advice from your Programme Leader, Module Tutor or Personal Supervisor.
64
Plagiarism and unfair means

The University has had a Code of Practice on the Use of Unfair Means since
February 2000. You should make sure that you download a copy from the
university portal, read it, understand it, and keep it for future reference.
The use of unfair means relates to any form of illegitimate conduct that might
give one student an advantage over another and includes: copying anothers
work without providing adequate references (including information taken from
the Internet); stealing anothers work; cheating in an examination by taking
prohibited materials into the examination room, whether or not they are used,
such as revision notes; impersonating another person during an examination;
falsifying a transcript or other official documentation; and removing, hiding or
destroying library materials without permission. The Code of Practice provides
further examples of what might constitute unfair means.
However, the most common use of unfair means is plagiarism. Plagiarism is
the use and presentation of somebody elses work as though it were
your own. This includes plagiarism of a colleagues work, from a
textbook, from the Internet, from a journal, or from other sources.
All coursework submitted to the Business School will be routinely scrutinised
using the Turnitin plagiarism prevention system. Turnitin provides information
on the similarity between the work you have submitted and a wide range of
existing material in the Turnitin database. It is not a plagiarism detection system
and interpretation of the Turnitin similarity report requires careful
consideration by assessors. Traditional plagiarism detection mechanisms will
still be important.
When assignments are submitted electronically through turnitin they are
checked against all work that has been submitted through the system as well
against other electronic sources. This means that work which has been
submitted previously will be visible to staff marking your assignments. There are
two particular situations that you should be aware of and guard against
whenever possible.
First, students are being assessed and given credit for their own work, not that
which has been written by another student. Sometimes two or more students
submit work that is similar or submit an assignment that has been submitted
65
previously by another student. It is then unclear who has written a piece of work
and this will be investigated to establish if it is the result of the use of unfair
means. If it is found to be the result of the use of unfair means then penalties will
be applied in the same way as if the work had been plagiarised. The school
encourages students to share their understanding and learn collaboratively,
however assignments are usually individual pieces of work and students should
exercise caution in how they work together and help each other.
Second, students should be aware that seeking to gain credit twice for the same
work is also considered to be the use of unfair means. Thus if a student is found
to have submitted their own work for a second time, and they have already been
given credit for the first submission, then this will also be investigated and, if
found to be the use of unfair means, penalised. Students who wish to refer to
their own previous assignments should reference them as they would any other
source, although they should realise that this may not be seen as a good piece of
work by the marker if it does not answer the question being set.
Any form of the use of unfair means is dishonest and is unacceptable. Therefore,
the University has decreed penalties that reflect the seriousness of the matter. As
a rule, the very least penalty you can expect to receive is zero or 0 marks for the
module in question. Reassessment is often permitted for a first offence by a
student in the early stages of their study, however the further you progress into
your programme of study the harsher the penalty becomes, as it is assumed that
you have had sufficient time to familiarise yourself with University procedures
and what constitutes good academic practice. The right to reassessment may
therefore not be granted. Should a student be proven to have committed a
second breach of the code the penalty will be termination of the students
programme of study unless there are good reasons to impose a more lenient
penalty. You will not be permitted to continue with your studies at the University
of Hull.
Penalties such as these should be a clear indication to you that the use of unfair
means is taken very seriously by the University. It is not worth risking your
academic and future employment opportunities. A little extra time spent making
note of the full reference of any source of material you consult or use, and
ensuring that the reference is included within your piece of work, will ensure
that you do not jeopardise your future at the University of Hull.
66
It is therefore essential that you meet the necessary requirements for

referencing and bibliographical standards within every piece of
written work that you submit, and that you do not attempt to deceive
or gain illegitimate advantage in any other way.
Closing comments
The need for you to provide full and correct referencing and bibliographies
cannot be overestimated. It is essential that you understand this skill and you
should spend as much time as it takes to ensure that you learn it. Failure to
understand this process may lead to unpleasant consequences.
There are several points of guidance to help you - the Study Advice Service, the
library, your tutor, your Personal Supervisor, the Students Union.
67
Chapter 9
Presentation Skills
Introduction
Presentation skills are important as presentations are frequently used in the
workplace as a means of disseminating information and influencing people. The
way in which you communicate by speaking will determine how successful you
will be during your working life. Nowadays many interviews involve a formal
presentation. Therefore, it is imperative that you enhance and develop your
presentation skills in readiness for future employment or progression into senior
posts when the stakes will be much higher.
Some of the assessments for your programme of study may involve giving a
presentation. This could take the form of an individual presentation or a group
presentation; or you may be asked to give an informal presentation, perhaps as
part of a seminar. During your time in HUBS it is worthwhile spending time
preparing for and delivering presentations as you will find you develop useful
skills for the workplace.
Preparing a presentation
Analysing the presentation
This involves answering the following questions.
68
Who is the audience?

What is the objective of the presentation?
What is the topic?

How long is the presentation?
What audiovisual aids will you use, for example, PowerPoint presentation or
Internet demonstration?
Researching the presentation

This involves identifying the main elements of the presentation title and
identifying key topics or themes.
Planning the presentation
This involves working out the order of your presentation. One frequently used
presentation structure is as follows.
Introduction. You. The topic. The presentation its structure and

organization
The reasons why the presentation is important or relevant to the audience
The actual topic this may be broken down into a number of sub topics
Implications for practice (if appropriate)
Summary
Conclusions
Thank the audience for listening
Using this structure it is worthwhile identifying what is essential information

and what is additional or supporting information. This can be looked at as
essential ingredients and decorative ingredients. This is helpful as if you find
that you are short of time then you can stick to the essential ingredients and if
you find that you have some spare time then you can develop the decorative
ingredients.
Making it interesting
In addition to the factual content of your presentation think about ways of
making it interesting.
Think about ways of illustrating the main points: use quotations, images (clip
art, graphs, charts or diagrams), stories or anecdotes BUT DONT use images
and other features as gimmicks they must add to your argument. Beware of
trying to present a lot of numerical information since this can be very boring;
detailed information is perhaps best presented using a handout.
69
Make the presentation more interesting by providing summary or basic

information using PowerPoint. You can also use these facilities to present a
graph, cartoon or a picture containing information that is most easily presented
as a visual image. Dont present too much information on each slide. A general
rule is that each slide should contain no more than seven lines of information
and seven words per line. PowerPoint is a standard method of making business
presentations. The Study Advice Service and also the Computer Centre provide
guidance on presentations and the use of PowerPoint.
Other forms of presentational resources include a flip chart or a white board (if
you wish to talk and write at the same time), hand-outs for your audience, a
short video clip, a demonstration, or even interactive role-plays.
Getting organised
Once you have structured your presentation according to the permitted time
schedule and created any additional presentational material, you can write the
main points of it on plain postcards or use the notes feature of PowerPoint.
Postcards look more professional than the use of A4 paper or a notebook, they
are also easier to follow, as you can use one postcard for one point then flip it to
the back of the pile. Some people staple or string them together so that if they
drop them then they dont go out of order.
People sometimes lose their place during a presentation and have to spend what
seems like minutes finding the section they were up to by using postcards this
problem is unlikely to occur, as you are not looking at a great deal of information
on any one sheet. Break your talk into segments or manageable sections, each
one with its own heading, and jot down the main points of your talk accordingly
on each postcard. Remember to number the postcards for ease of reference.
Check the facilities in the room that you will be giving your presentation. If your
PowerPoint presentation is on a disk, CD or USB memory stick then double
check that the appropriate facilities are available and that you know how to use
them.
Group presentations
If you are preparing for a group presentation then ensure that the team works
together. If individuals go off to complete their section without any interaction
70
with the other team members this can result in a disjointed presentation that
would appear to the audience in exactly the way in which it had been prepared.
You must work together. Prepare your PowerPoint presentation or handouts in
the same style and ensure that each member uses a similar form of language. By
all means split the researching responsibilities between the group, but check
each section carefully to avoid overlap or gaps in the information provided. All
group members should speak for an equal amount of time with perhaps one
person opening and closing the presentation. Dress appropriately if you are
giving a formal presentation.
Rehearsing
It is very helpful to rehearse your presentation. This means that you can become
comfortable with your material and also your presentation aids. It also means
that you can check and adjust your timing. Ask someone to watch it and give you
constructive feedback the Study Advice Service tutors will do this if you make
an appointment. The more time you put into preparing your presentation then
the more successful it is likely to be.
If you are giving a group presentation then it is particularly important to
rehearse and make sure that your presentation is integrated and well organised.
In particular you may find it helpful to practise the handovers from one student
to another student.
Giving a Presentation
Prepare yourself. Have a good nights sleep. Eat a proper breakfast or lunch.
Arrive in plenty of time.
Organise the room. Some people feel more comfortable using a lectern or
table. Think about how you want the audience to sit. Do you want a formal or
informal seating arrangement? Do you want the chairs in theatre style, circle
or a horse-shoe shape? Once you have organised the room then sit in
different locations so that you can check how different members of the
audience will view your presentation.
Check how things work: light switches, electric sockets, heating, windows,
blinds and computers.
71
72
Check that your postcards and presentation are in order.

Take your watch off and place it on the desk in front of you. Check it regularly
(although without making it obvious) to ensure that you are keeping to your
schedule and not running out of time.
Do not begin until your tutor and audience are settled and ready to begin
listening.
If you are nervous then do some deep breathing.
Let the audience know when you want to receive questions during the
presentation or at the end of it.
Try to bring vitality and variety into your speech pattern. Vary your tone. Use
your hands and face to make expressions either to stress a particular point or
to raise doubt over somebody elses findings.
If you have practised your presentation sufficiently, you should be able to
remember your main points without having to read or refer to your cards.
This will give you the opportunity to talk to, rather than talk at, your
audience, which will make you seem more interesting and will capture your
audiences attention.
Maintain regular eye contact with your audience. Remember to look at the
whole audience not just the tutor. If you feel uncomfortable doing this,
choose a few people in the audience and glance at them at regular intervals.
Raising your head and looking out to your audience throughout your
presentation is better than standing, head down, reading from your cards.
Try not to rush your presentation. If you have prepared it thoroughly you will
have enough time to cover all that you need to in the given time. Take a
moment to catch your breath after each postcard this also gives your
audience time to consider the point that you have just made. Many presenters
speak too quickly. Try to make sure that you speak more slowly than you
would in normal conversation.
If you are part of a group presentation, thank the person who spoke before
you and when you have completed your section, present the next group
member to the audience.
When it is time for questions handle them with confidence. If you do not
know the answer to any question then be honest and say that you will find
out. When you want to close the question session then signal this to your
audience by saying We have time for one more question.
Thank your audience when you have finished your formal presentation. Do
not finish your presentation with your last sentence, quickly gather up your
material and rush to sit down. After you have thanked the audience and
ended your presentation, then calmly collect your material and sit down.
Closing comments
Presentation skills are important and you will need them throughout your
career. The more you practise these skills, the more comfortable you will be in
giving presentations. The key to all good presentations is preparation and
planning. This enables you to be yourself and make an impact on your
audience.
73
Chapter 10
Working in Groups
Introduction
Team working is an essential skill required by employers for almost every job.
During your programme of study you will be asked to work in groups and some
of your assessment activities will involve group work, that is, a group
presentation or a group project. The principle behind group assessment
activities is to give you some experience in being part of, or perhaps leading, a
team. It provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate transferable
skills such as communication, negotiation, participation, compromise, decisionmaking, and obviously teamwork. This chapter will help you to identify different
ways of approaching group work so that it becomes a successful and enjoyable
experience.
What is an effective student group?

Here are some comments from students about their experiences of assessed
group work:
It was very easy. We got well organised and agreed to meet every
fortnight. We spent some time getting to know each other. We
shared the work out and everyone kept their promises and
delivered on time. If we couldnt attend a meeting then we texted
74
the others. By the end of the assignment we were all good friends
and we got a high mark.
It was hard arranging a time to meet up. After a month of hassle
and wasted time we decided to meet every Monday after the main
lecture. This worked well and after that we got on with the
assignment. We got a good mark.
Our group never got going. We never all met up and the
presentation was poor. It was obvious that we hadnt planned it
there was a lot of repetition and it was a bit boring. We got a poor
mark and we deserved it.
The group work was hard. All the other group members lived in
hall and they began to meet up in hall and make decisions without
me. I felt left out. In the end I spoke to the tutor and she raised it as
an issue in the tutorial. The other students were upset as they
hadnt realised I felt left out and they would have preferred me to
talk to them direct. After that we met on campus during the day
and the group worked well together.
We only met up twice but we kept in contact by eBridge. It worked
well (to my surprise). I found I had to go onto eBridge every day
which was a pain.
Effective student group work often shows the following characteristics.
Well organised arrange to meet at the same time/place on a regular basis,

everyone attends, keep a record of their activities and agreed actions, monitor
their progress against the deadline.
Manage the process students spend time getting to know each other, they
support each other and include everyone.
Communication students listen to each other, they give everyone a chance
to join in, they keep in regular touch with each other.
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First meet-up
The first step in group work is to meet up! It is often best if one student takes the
initiative and suggests a date, time and place to meet. It is always best to meet on
neutral territory e.g. library, Staff House or one of the Universitys cafes, rather
than in one persons home. It is best not to meet in locations such as a bar as this
may not fit in with an individual students religious beliefs and this type of
environment is not conducive to study.
Once you have met it is important to get to know each other so spend time on
this. Exchange contact information e.g. names, email address, mobile and land
line phone numbers. Talk about your expectations of the group work e.g. how
often do you want to meet, what will you do if someone cannot attend, how will
you record meetings? Do you want to nominate someone as group leader or coordinator?
Then spend some time focusing on your task and what is required. Look at the
task details e.g. in your Module Handbook and make sure that you understand
what is required and the deadline for handing in or presenting work. You may
then want to work out an action plan and agree key dates e.g. for completing
research, producing a first draft, editing, finalising hand-in or presentation
details.
Finally, decide what the next step is. Decide who is going to do which part of the
task (and keep a record). Arrange the date, time and location of the next
meeting.
The organisation of meetings

There are standard methods of organising meetings in the workplace and this
helps to make sure that the meeting is productive and there is no time wasting.
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Make sure that everyone knows when and where the meeting is going to take
place.
Ask one person to act as leader or chair person. Their job is to make sure that
the meeting is organised in a business-like manner, everyone contributes to
the meeting, it keeps to time, and decisions are made.
Agree an agenda (or list of topics for discussion) either before the meeting or
at the start.
Discuss each topic on the agenda. Dont spend too long on any one topic. If
necessary decide how long you will spend on each topic.
Make decisions! The purpose of the meeting is normally to share information
and ideas, and then to make decisions. Record these decisions.
Decide when and where you will next meet. Most student groups find it best
to have a regular meeting slot.
Write up the minutes or action notes of the meeting. These dont need to be
long but they will help everyone to know how the group work is progressing.
This record is also useful if there is confusion or conflict within the group.
Sample notes from a meeting:
APS Module: Group 32

Meeting on 12 February 2006. 11.15 BJL
Present: Tom, Bushra, Sam, Jane, Anne, Muhammid
Apologies: Takako (hospital appointment)
1 Notes of last meeting everyone agreed with them.
2 Research everyone reported their progress. Takako had sent a note in an
email. The topic appears to be too big. Suggested that we focus on 3 instead of 6
countries (UK, India and China). Everyone agreed. Anne to inform Takako.
3 Producing 1st draft. Muhammid suggested that everyone produced 250 words
on their topic. He would put it together into one document and add an
introduction and conclusion agreed. Bushra said that she would then sort out
references. Anne offered to read through whole document and edit it so that it
read as one piece of work. This was agreed and everyone to have their 250 words
to Muhammid by 11 February. Anne to inform Takako. Muhammid offered to
have 1st draft ready for 15 February.
4 PowerPoint presentation. Decided to leave this until 1st draft produced.
5 Referencing. Some confusion about referencing websites. Bushra to email
tutor.
6 Next tutorial. There is one booked for 14 February at 3pm. Everyone to meet
up at 2.50. Main issues: topic being too big.
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7 Next meeting: 15 February at 11.15 in BJL. Tom will book room.

8 Notes of this meeting: Jane to write up and email to everyone by Sunday.
On some modules you may be asked to hand in the minutes or notes from your
group meetings. Check your Module Handbook.
Managing group work

A major advantage of group work is that it enables different people to work
together and share their ideas, perspectives and experiences. Nowadays the
workforce in organisations and also student groups are increasingly diverse as
people from different backgrounds and countries work together. The ability to
work in a diverse team is an important skill and essential for working in a global
economy. During your programme of studies you are likely to work in diverse
groups and this is a great opportunity for broadening your experience and
perspectives. Sometimes it can be a challenging experience and lead to some
feelings of discomfort, and also the opportunity to develop your knowledge and
skills of team work. It is a great opportunity for learning and developing your
communication skills.
Working in a diverse team normally involves more effort than working in a
group where everyone comes from the same background and has a similar
perspective. It is particularly important to spend time getting to know each
other, learning each others names (and how they are pronounced correctly) and
talking about your expectations of group work. Students coming to HUBS from
different educational backgrounds will have different experiences of group work
some students may have never been involved in group work before.
Cameron (2005, 237) writes:
Working in mixed groups takes more effort. It becomes even more
vital to check understanding at every stage than it is with a
homogenous group. Words mean slightly different things within
different cultures. Some cultures are less assertive than others:
their agreement may be mere politeness. Some cultures express
themselves very directly, in ways that may seem almost offensive to
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others but are just the normal way of saying things to those
concerned. Some cultures treat deadlines differently from others.
The general advice for working in diverse groups is to
meet in a place which is acceptable to everyone and that is neutral territory

spend time getting to know each other
make sure that everyone has a chance to speak
include everyone and ask for individuals comments
check understanding and use of terminology
check agreement
make sure that there is a common understanding about deadlines
Common problems in group work

The following table outlines some common problems in group work and
different strategies for managing them. Working in student groups is similar to
working in teams in organisations. Different people put different amounts of
effort into their work and this is sometimes the cause of frustration and conflict.
Learning how to deal with these situations in the university environment will
help you to develop leadership skills for the workplace.
Problem
Strategy for managing it
Student doesnt attend or

make contact via email or
text message
Keep contacting the student and inviting them to

meetings
Inform your tutor
Use meeting notes/minutes to demonstrate
attendance and participation
Strategies for managing this include: meeting on
neutral territory, sharing leadership and coordination roles by taking turns, making sure
that everyone has a turn. You may find it useful
to talk to each other about the best ways of
working together and sharing the work.
Some students may want to

take over and dominate
group work. They may want
to hold meetings at their
house/room, be the group
leader, and control the
group work.
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Students who dont commit

to the group work or are
only aiming for a low mark
Free-loader. The person

who doesnt do any work or
turns up the week before an
assignment is due to be
handed in and then wants to
get involved.
Conflict between group

members
This can be very frustrating. It is worth talking

about it in the group and deciding how you are
going to organise yourselves and work together.
You may also want to raise it as a group issue. If
you have a choice over assignment title then
choose a topic that everyone is interested in. The
marking of some group assignments takes into
account different levels of participation.
Another awkward situation. Your meeting
notes/minutes will enable you to demonstrate
attendance and levels of activity. The marking of
some group assignments takes into account
different levels of participation. If a student
doesnt contribute to group work then it is
appropriate for the group to inform the tutor.
There may be some reason for non-participation
and, if this is the case, then the student
concerned should complete a mitigating
circumstances form and hand it in to the relevant
HUBS office.
Occasionally conflict does arise between group
members. It is worth remembering that conflict
may lead to extremely creative and high quality
work. However, it sometimes results in
uncomfortable and awkward situations.
Strategies for dealing with conflict include:
having a cooling off period; discussing the
situation and ways of resolving it; building on
common ground and agreement; asking another
person to mediate.
Closing comments
Team skills are important and essential for working in different types of
organisations. Effective teams are well organised, spend time building up
relationships, and have good quality communications. Working in diverse teams
gives all students the opportunity to learn from people with different experiences
and perspectives.
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IMPORTANT WARNING
You need to ensure that your assessed group work does not contain material that
has been plagiarised. ALL group members are responsible for the whole
assignment.
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Chapter 11
Making effective use of eBridge
Introduction
eBridge is the Universitys virtual learning environment and it provides a virtual
space where students may find information, take on-line assessment and
communicate with each other. You can access eBridge via the Internet from
anywhere in the world. You will probably need to spend some time learning how
to use eBridge and the Universitys computer centre provides handouts which
describe how to log-on to the system and navigate around it.
Many tutors use eBridge as a means of communicating with students,
disseminating student handbooks and course materials, and providing access to
on-line communication tools. Some tutors use the on-line assessment facilities
for tests. You will find that eBridge provides a useful way of keeping up-to-date
with your module and its different learning and teaching activities.
What is available on eBridge?

You access eBridge via the Internet using your University computing ID (see
computer centre handout). Once you enter eBridge(see Computer Centre
handout) you will be able to click onto your modules and also other features. The
majority of modules taught within the Business School now use eBridge. If you
are unable to access a module on eBridge then please contact the module leader.
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Each module uses eBridge in a manner appropriate to that module. However,

they are likely to include some or all of the following facilities.
Announcements
Learning materials and information sources
Discussion groups
Conference rooms.
Announcements
As their name suggests this is the area where your tutor(s) will post notices to
students. It is an electronic notice board. The notices may be about
changes in arrangements e.g. about lectures and tutorials

clarification of issues raised by students
guest lectures or speaker
other module matters
It is important to check into the eBridge site on a regular basis so that you can
pick up these announcements.
Learning materials
Many tutors make their module handbooks, lecture notes, seminar papers and
supplementary learning materials available on eBridge. If you lose any of your
module materials then check eBridge before contacting the tutor. Your tutor may
also provide you with hot links to websites relevant to that module.
When you are doing assessed work additional information to support you in your
assignments may be made available via eBridge.
Discussion groups
These provide a facility for discussion (much like an Internet newsgroup) under
various topic headings and not in real time. They allow you to take part in a
virtual classroom experience. This means that you will use it for tutor or student
led discussions and activities. Any messages sent to a discussion group are
visible to everyone who has access to it.
If you want to send private messages to your tutor or individual students then
use email.
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Conference Rooms
Conference rooms provide a real time text based conferencing facility (much
like Internet chat or a face-to-face seminar). In the context of a particular
module your tutor may use this facility to hold real time meetings or to set up
syndicate work for groups of students.
Introduction to on-line learning and teaching

For most students on-line learning and teaching is a relatively new experience
and one that is in a state of rapid development. On-line discussions and chat
sessions offer a means by which students and tutors can communicate with each
other. The main difference between the two is that the on-line discussions are
asynchronous i.e. communication takes place without the people being available
at the same time. Individuals post messages at a time that suits them and then
read the responses to their message the next time they come on-line. This is in
contrast to conferences or chat sessions where synchronous communications
take place i.e. everyone is available at the same time and talk to each other
through on-line text messages. On-line discussions are particularly useful for
group work as students can use it as a way of keeping in touch with each other
and exchanging information and ideas through the discussion group.
Taking part in on-line discussions
As with face-to-face meetings there are some standard approaches to working
together in an on-line environment. This section outlines the stages that a
successful group working on-line is likely to experience. Many of the ideas in this
section come from the work of Salmon (2000).
Getting started.
You will need to start with introductions and get to know each other. Remember
the rules of netiquette (on-line etiquette).
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Be polite
Keep it brief
Acknowledge each other
Respond to each others messages
Dont be too concerned about spelling or grammar
Ground rules
It is important to establish ground rules for your discussion group as this helps it
to work well. Ground rules can cover issues such as: importance of
acknowledging each others messages, response times, methods of disagreeing,
etc. Here is a set of ground rules agreed by one group of HUBS students.
Check the discussion group at least three times a week

Let people know if you are absent e.g. due to ill health or a family problem
Keep messages concise
Keep one topic per message. This enables threads to develop.
Be polite
Dont write and send a message if you feel angry with another person
Working together on-line

This involves carrying out your group task and you may be involved in
exchanging information and ideas, writing materials together, making
arrangements for face-to-face working.
If you are debating and discussing different ideas then it is important to
acknowledge other peoples ideas (I thought your idea was useful Sam.) and
to put your views across without causing offence or upset. Ways of doing this
include starting your sentences with phrases such as: in my humble opinion
(often abbreviated to IMHO) and perhaps we could also think about. In an
on-line environment you need to be very sensitive to the feelings of others as
there are no visual cues as to how someone is responding to your comments.
Sometimes, an on-line discussion becomes confusing as there are lots of
messages and it is difficult to see where the group has got to. In this situation it
is helpful if someone writes a brief summary and posts it up in the discussion
group.
On-line conferences or chat sessions
At different times during a module your tutor or group may decide to organise
an on-line conference. This will enable you all to be involved in a real time
(synchronous) communication process. This means that you need to be on the
appropriate part of the eBridge site at the time that you have set for your chat
session.
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At the start of the session introduce yourself (if necessary) and then get going
with the chat session. Chatting with two or few people is relatively simple. If
there are four or more people on-line then it is worthwhile asking someone to act
as chairperson or coordinator.
Handling difficult situations
As in face-to-face learning, difficult situations may arise within your on-line
group. It is worthwhile being prepared for this possibility and developing a range
of strategies for handling them. The following table provides a starting point for
managing situations that arise on-line:
Difficult situations
Strategy for handling the situation
Flaming (the on-line equivalent of road

rage)
Keep your cool! Try to defuse the

situation. Ask the student what they
would like to happen. Ask others for
their opinions.
Quiet students or browsers (sometimes

called lurkers)
Invite people to join in by name. Ask

them for their opinion. If they are not
coming on-line then send them an
email or text message and invite them
to get involved.
On-line work fizzling out.
Discuss it on-line or in a face-to-face

meeting. Produce a new action plan.
Close the on-line group.
Closing comments
Many students find eBridge an invaluable source of information and ideas. It is
an important means of communication for tutors and students. Remember to
access eBridge at regular intervals.
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Chapter 12
Examination Skills
Introduction
Examinations are widely used within the University as a means of assessing
students knowledge and skills. It is worthwhile spending some time thinking
about and improving your revision skills and examination technique. This will
help you to improve your examination performance.
If you are returning to study after a break you may find that you need to develop
your revision and examination skills. You will find that other students are in a
similar situation. Read this guide and follow the advice in it, and also make use
of the special revision and examination sessions that are organised by your
tutors and the Study Advice Service. The experience of Business School tutors is
that some students think they know it all, perhaps because they were successful
in examinations held in schools or colleges. Sometimes these students are overconfident and, as a result, do badly in their first set of examinations at the
university. All students are advised to read and follow the guidelines in this
chapter.
Information about examinations

Examinations are an essential part of the assessment process. University
examinations are normally held twice each year, during the assessment period
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for each semester. Information about examinations is normally provided in each

Module or Programme Handbook.
The assessment weighting for each module varies: some examinations may only
amount to 20% of the assessment weighting; most will be 50%; and some may be
100% weighting. Ensure you know the value of the examination in the
assessment process as this helps you to decide how much time and energy to
invest in preparing for it.
The exact date, time and location of the examinations will be posted on notice
boards prior to the assessment period. You will not receive this information
directly by post or by email although it will be available through the University
portal. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully aware of the
examination arrangements.
If you have a disability that may affect your performance in examinations then
contact your Personal Supervisor or the Business Schools Disability Officer as
soon as possible and well before the start of the examination period.
It is also worth noting that, due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances,
the arrangements for some examinations may change. You should therefore
double check what you think the arrangements are, nearer to the time of the
examination, either by consulting the notice boards again or by asking the
appropriate Support Office. Holidays should not be booked at times close to
scheduled examinations, as arrangements are liable to change and the Business
School will not accept your being on holiday as a satisfactory reason for missing
an examination. Holidays should therefore not be taken until the assessment
period is completely finished. This includes the reassessment period, which
should also be kept free in case you have to resit an examination or resubmit a
piece of written work. Similarly, it is not seen as acceptable to be late or to miss
an examination for any reason that does not satisfactorily meet the criteria laid
out in the Guidelines for Mitigating Circumstances and Absence from
Examinations and Coursework Extensions with Good Cause (available in the
Student Handbook).
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Revision
The aim of the examination process is to test your knowledge and understanding
in an environment with a time constraint. Examinations are not merely a
memory test either they test understanding, rather than the specific
description of each and every theory and concept. They also seek to evaluate
some generic skills such as time management (have you answered all the
questions you need to in the given time period?) and your effectiveness under
pressure. These are everyday occurrences in working life.
Students who are successful in the examination process are those who have
developed an effective preparation technique and who are also able to manage
themselves and their time during the examination.
Here are some general guidelines.
Some students prefer to plan and begin their revision well in advance of the
examination date, studying small sections at a time when their schedule is
less pressurised. Others prefer to revise continually, whether the modules
assessment involves an examination or not, just to maintain the knowledge
and understanding of the modules content. Some students prefer to leave
revision until the last minute when there is little chance that they will forget
what they have revised. Nobody can say which way is right and which way is
wrong. You should work according to what suits you best. You may want to
explore and experiment with different approaches so that you know which
approach suits you best.
It is during revision for an examination that you are likely to realise the
importance of making good, well-referenced notes (see Chapter 5). Time
invested in making notes will mean that you are well prepared for the
revision process. Therefore, maybe without knowing it, you have already
started your revision. Your revision will further be speeded up and made
more efficient if you have continually revised your notes. It is easier to refresh
your short-term memory than relearn what will amount to new information
during a period of increased pressure.
It is useful to look at some of the recent past examination papers for each of
your subject areas. This will help to give you a flavour of the style of questions
that may come up, the presentation of an examination paper, and the
terminologies used in examination questions. Examination papers are
available through the Portal by selecting the Repository tab and then
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selecting past examination papers and then by choosing either Business

School if you are based in Hull or Scarborough Management Centre if you
are based in Scarborough.
Working backwards from the date of the examination make the necessary
commitments in your diary and work schedule. Remember to be realistic.
You will have other activities during this time, for example, lectures and
seminars, assignments, or part-time work.
Remember to work on all the modules that are going to be assessed. Do not
put all your energy into revising for one module at the cost of others.
Allow yourself some relaxation time during your revision you will perform
better if you have some breaks from your revision, where you spend time with
friends or even spend an hour having a coffee or going for a walk. The end
result of 12 hours non-stop revision is likely to be less productive than 3 x 3
hours revision, with an hours break in between each session.
Most Module Leaders will run a session called revision make sure that you
attend it! These sessions are intended to help you, and you should not turn
down an opportunity for the person who will be marking your examination
script to give you guidance and help.
Revision can be split into two categories.
Selective revision: Where you focus on specific topics, for example, those
that you know best or find really interesting. However, do not be too
restrictive always prepare for the worst scenario: that your preferred
question or questions do not appear on the examination paper, or that
they do appear, but in a way that you do not feel you could effectively
answer. So always revise at least one topic more than you know you will
need to answer (for example, if you have to answer two out of five
questions, prepare to answer three). There is no need to attempt to
memorise everything that you have read, heard, or discussed throughout
the module, but there is still a need to have an understanding of all the
relevant issues of the subject matter.
Generic revision: If, however, you are not given an indication of what
might appear in the examination paper then you will have to refamiliarise
yourself with a condensed version of the modules contents. You may need
to look through all the notes you have made and revise the basics of each
topic you have covered during the module.
There are also several ways in which you could revise: some students work
better alone, preferring peace and quiet to revise according to their own pace;
other students prefer to work with one friend or a whole group. If you prefer
to revise on your own then it is always useful to spend a little time discussing
the subject matter with a friend to ensure that you have grasped the
understanding of key ideas or points. Talking is a useful way of clarifying
understanding. The choice is yours remember to use an approach that
works for you.
Once you have carried out some revision, you may find it useful to practise
answering typical examination questions. Many people find it helpful to write
outline answers in response to sample questions. If you are working with a
group of people then you may want to exchange and mark each others
answers.
Sitting examinations
Some people like to allow 10 minutes at the beginning of the examination to

jot down their revision planners before they even read the questions. This
approach can help you to relax by knowing that you have remembered your
plans or notes and that you have the basics of some outline answers there.
Read and analyse the questions themselves carefully. Think about every
word in the question and consider what the examiner requires.
Make a quick and very rough draft of the main points you intend to cover for
each answer.
Start writing. Most people find it best to start with the easy questions.
Keep an eye on the clock. Do not spend too long on one question at the
expense of the others.
If you are running out of time, structure your response in note form or bullet
points anything is better than nothing.
Give yourself a minute or two rest in between answers to gather your
thoughts and also relax your eyes and writing hand.
Allow 10 minutes at the end of the examination to read through your
answers, correcting any mistakes, adding further clarification that you may
have forgotten originally, re-writing any words that are illegible. Cross out
rough notes that you made at the beginning by putting a line through them.
This tells the examiner that they are rough notes and do not constitute part of
your formal response to the questions.
It is worth remembering that practice makes perfect. At the end of the
examination, and also when you obtain your results, reflect on the process
and identify ways in which you can improve your examination performance.
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Use a poor mark effectively, by treating it as a lesson that you can learn from
in order to avoid making the same mistakes again.
See Chapter 13 on
reflective practice
Practical tips and advice
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Check the date, venue and time of the examination a couple of days before in
case there has been any change to arrangements. If you do not know the
location of the examination then find out and visit it.
Have an early night so that you feel bright and refreshed. Last minute
revision into the small hours of the morning may well be counter-productive
as you are unlikely to remember very much and you will be tired for the day
of the exam.
Allow yourself plenty of time to get ready and reach the examination hall on
time. If you have to rush you are more likely to be tense and anxious when
you sit down and begin writing.
Have some breakfast (or lunch) before the exam as it is hard to concentrate if
you are hungry.
Ensure you have at least one spare pen with you, as well as other items that
you may need and which are permitted according to the rubric of the
examination paper (for example, a calculator).
Be aware of the Instructions to Candidates for Written Examinations
(available on the University portal), which clearly states the rules candidates
have to adhere to during an examination. Remember that mobile phones are
not permitted in the examination hall, so either leave your telephone at home
or switch it off and leave it in a bag or coat away from your desk.
International students are permitted to use their own English/own language
dictionaries unless it is expressly forbidden in the examination papers rubric.
However, students own dictionaries will be checked during the examination
for notes and annotations, so do not think that it is possible to use your
dictionary to take revision notes into the examination, as this will result in an
allegation of the use of unfair means being made against you. Any annotation
may be deemed an attempt at unfair means. Students must take a completely
clean dictionary into exams. Subject specific foreign language dictionaries
are not likely to be permitted if they go beyond straightforward translations.
Examination scripts are marked anonymously so it is essential that you know

your student registration number and that you write it legibly. Take your
student card with you to the examination.
Try to write in a legible and easy-to-read style. Examiners do not have the
time to decipher messy or unusual styles of writing. If they have difficulty in
reading your writing then it is quite likely that they will have difficulty in
understanding the content of your answer and how appropriate it may be to
the question. You are therefore likely to be marked lower than you might be if
your writing was legible. It is worth taking more time to write slowly and
neatly.
There will always be a clock in the examination hall. You may also want to
take off your watch and place it on the desk in front of you so that you can
keep good track of the time.
Throughout the examination remain calm. Keep your focus on the questions
and your answers. Start with the easier questions. Concentrate on what you
can do rather than what you cannot.
If you do start to panic, put your pen down, shut your eyes for a few
moments, take some deep breaths, and then start writing again.
If your mind goes blank then start to write either write whatever you know
about the topic or write about how you are feeling. This often helps people to
get going again. Once your mind clicks into action then cross out this writing
and get started on the examination answers again.
You must leave all exam materials in the exam hall taking your answer
paper out with you and handing it in later will be deemed as unfair means.
The use of unfair means

The Universitys Code of Practice on the Use of Unfair Means clearly states that
it is an offence against the Code to take into an examination hall materials that
are prohibited and that may give an illegitimate advantage over other students.
Prohibited material can include revision notes, revision planners, quotations,
essay structures, or dictionaries that have notes or annotations contained within
the pages. Furthermore, the offence under the Code is actually having these
materials on your person or on or around your desk the Code does not state
that it has to be proved that you have actually used the prohibited items.
Therefore, you are strongly advised not to take any form of prohibited material
into an examination hall with you. If you have any notes with you that you have
been using for last minute revision prior to the examination, either leave them in
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a coat pocket at the back of the room, throw them away before you enter the hall,
or give them to an Invigilator before the examination starts. To claim that you
put some notes inside your pencil case, which is sitting on your desk, but that
you have not referred to them, is not an appropriate excuse. The penalties for
being caught with prohibited material, or indeed copying another students
paper, are very severe.
Chapter 8 provides further

details
It is recommended that you obtain a copy of the Universitys Code of Practice on

the Use of Unfair Means (available on the University portal) and ensure that you
are familiar with its contents before you undertake any form of assessment.
Closing comments
Students who do well in examinations are those who have developed effective
revision techniques and know their subject. They also follow the instructions in
the examination papers and answer the set questions rather than questions that
they hoped would be set!
It is a good idea to take up all the assistance and support given by the University.
Reading this manual is a good starting point and you may want to attend special
sessions run by your tutor or the Study Advice Service.
94
Chapter 13
Reflection
Introduction
Reflection is a natural human activity and we tend to reflect on our daily
activities, our successes and failures, relationships and careers. This reflective
process may take place during other activities walking, swimming, showering,
washing up. Reflection is important as it enables us to learn from our
experiences both our failures and successes. This helps us to improve our skills
and practice. The benefits of reflection include
improved performance, for example in assignments
increased motivation and confidence
greater self-awareness
better understanding of the links between theory and practice
development of professional skills
development of career
This short chapter introduces a structured approach to reflection and methods of
keeping a record of your reflective practice as this will enable you to develop and
improve your academic and professional skills.
95
What is a reflective learner?

Reflective learners are people who think about their learning either as they are
learning something or at the end of a learning activity e.g. end of a lecture or
seminar, end of a semester.
Reflective learners reflect on
what they are learning
how they are learning it
their strengths and weaknesses in learning a particular subject or topic
how they can improve their learning processes
how well they are achieving their learning goals
Getting started in reflection

How to reflect
Reflection is a very good tool for helping you to develop and improve your study
skills. All it requires is a little time and a method of recording your thoughts such
as pen and paper or a cassette recorder. There is more advice on this topic later
in the chapter.
Different people will prefer to reflect in different ways. It is very important to
record your thoughts and many students use a diary or exercise book to do so.
Other students may type up their thoughts and some people like to tape record
their thoughts. The important point is to keep a record of your reflective
practice. There are many different ways of reflecting on your experiences and the
following three examples are regularly used by students. It is worth noting that
each of these methods includes identifying what you will do differently next
time, that is, producing an action plan.
Example 1
The easiest way to start reflecting is to spend five minutes after a study period
answering the following questions.
What went well?
What didnt go so well?
What did you learn?
96
What will you do differently next time?

The final question is vital as it enables you to identify and plan improvements to
your approach.
The following example was completed by a HUBS student after an independent
study session. She used the four questions and noted down her responses as
illustrated in the example.
What went well?

Understood the key readings. Managed to find most of the references on the
Internet. Made really good notes.
What did you learn?
I can find my way around the Internet but perhaps could learn some short cuts.
Using a colour coding system made it easier to make notes - they look good.
What didnt go so well?
I was tired and seemed to be struggling to stay awake at the end of the session.
What will you do differently next time?
Time it better! Working in the evening after a full day of lectures was no fun.
Next time Ill do this kind of session on a light day.
Example 2 Critical incidents

Critical incidents are those that often generate emotions or strong feelings. For
example, you may be working on a group assignment and there are major
problems between two students, you may obtain an unexpectedly low mark for
an assignment, or you may find a piece of work very challenging. The following
questions may be used to reflect on a critical incident.
Select a critical incident.
Briefly describe it.
What contributed to this situation?
97
What was your role in creating this situation?

What do you need to do differently in future?
Example 3 Personal responses
Another useful source of reflection is your own personal response to a situation
or process. The following questions may be used to reflect on your personal
responses.
How do you feel about this task, activity, group, or module?
What are you enjoying?
What do you dislike?
What do you need to do differently?
When to reflect
It is a good idea to identify a time when you will reflect on and identify ways of
improving your academic practice. You will find it useful to reflect at different
times during your programme. For example, at the start of your programme you
may want to reflect after each new experience: lecture, seminar, library session,
or ICT session. It is always important to reflect after completing an assignment
when you can think about your process in producing the assignment. Once your
assignment is returned then you can reflect on the feedback you receive from
your tutor and identify ways of improving your next assignment.
Learning journals
Some academic programmes of study and modules ask you to keep a learning
journal and this is a specific example of reflective practice. If you are asked to
keep a learning journal as part of an assessment activity then you will be given
guidance by your tutor. The Study Advice Service provides a guide to reflection
and this covers what to write in your learning journal.
You may be wondering what are the characteristics of a good quality learning
journal; the following list was developed by Jenny Moon (2000) and it indicates
the general requirements of a good quality learning journal.
98
A range of entries.
Clarity and good observation in the presentation of events or issues.
Evidence of speculation based on theory and practice.
Evidence of a willingness to revise ideas in the light of experience and

discussion.
Honesty and self-assessment.
Thoroughness of reflection and self-awareness.
Depth and detail of reflective accounts.
Evidence of creative thinking.
A deep approach to the subject matter.
Representation of different cognitive skills (synthesis, analysis,

evaluation etc)
Evidence of reading and reference to theory.
A match of the content and outcomes of the journal work to module aim and
outcomes.
Identification in the reflective process of questions for further reflection and
exploration.
Personal Development Planning (PDP)

This section will help you to think about your future career. Many students find
that if they begin to think about this early in their degree programme then they
can organise themselves to study the right modules and take up extra activities
that will give them the CV that will help get that perfect job. Students who dont
think about their personal development are likely to end up with a degree but
perhaps have not studied the right subjects for their chosen career. At the end of
their degree programme, too many students say I wish Id thought of this
earlier... By taking action now you will help yourself do well in the future.
What is PDP?
Personal development planning (PDP) is a process you go through that allows
you to reflect on your learning, performance and achievements and in doing this
you are able to plan for your future development in your personal, academic and
professional life. The record of this process and your achievements is called a
personal development plan. This record may be kept in a paper file or in an
electronic file. The choice is yours.
The importance of PDP
Undertaking PDP can benefit many different aspects of your life. Some of the
benefits include gaining clarity in your learning and future plans, becoming
99
more motivated, gaining knowledge of your abilities and skill set and having a
clearer insight into yourself as a person.
Students who have a personal development plan and use and update it regularly
see clear benefits saying that PDP helped them make sense of the theory of their
studies, recognise skills, increase awareness of personal values and ethics,
recognise strengths and gain an insight into what to do better next time.
PDP can help you when it comes to applying for jobs or providing evidence of
training as you will need to locate the relevant resources easily. With PDP you
build up a portfolio of your personal records over time and so you will not forget
about some of the tasks that you have undertaken and will be less likely to miss
out on different opportunities.
Your personal development plan can also be used by you to monitor your
personal progression and to evaluate how well you have progressed and see if
you need to make any changes.
How to undertake PDP
Personal development planning is a process that you are probably already going
through without realising. Whether day dreaming about what profession you
want to go into to evaluating what went right and what went wrong in a
presentation you are going through the process of personal development
planning.
To help you produce a personal development plan, spend some time undertaking
the following actions:
Make notes on what you want to achieve in your life both personally and
professionally? Are your plans compatible with each other? You may have to
reconsider your priorities for the future in order for you to achieve what is
most important to you.
Ensure you have all the information you require as it could save you time and
money. When looking at your future career what the job title implies can be
very different from what the job actually involves. By being fully informed
you will be able to have a clear direction for your aims.
100
Make the most of the opportunities that come your way. You will gain
knowledge of different areas and will have much more understanding of your
abilities and limits.
Have a strong network of people around you who you trust to give you an
honest opinion on how you are progressing and what you should do to
improve further. Through discussing your plans with other people you will be
provided with different ideas of what you could go on to do and gain a much
broader view of what is available for you out there.
It is a good idea to keep a small notebook with you at all times and use it to
monitor your personal development. By writing aims and goals and when you
want to achieve them by and also keeping notes on how you are progressing,
what you are learning and what you need to change, you are monitoring your
development.
Keeping a notebook makes it much easier to document your thoughts and you
can use it as a reference tool when evaluating your achievement of your targets.
How you use the notebook is up to you - you could look at it once a day before
you go to university or take it with you as a reference point throughout the day.
Whichever way you use it you will find that you become much more focused on
what you want to achieve and will actively work towards your goals, as they are
fresh in your mind.
It is also an idea to keep a folder where you can keep a much broader overview of
your development. Depending on your work load and how you manage your time
you could either update the folder continuously as you work towards your aims
or set aside an afternoon once a month to go through the folder and notebook
updating the relevant files gaining a broad overview of how you are progressing
as a whole. How you use the folder and what you include is up to you but is a
good idea to have documents along the following lines:
1. A personal statement of what you want to achieve in life. Look at updating
this every few months as you will find that different aspects of your life plan
will alter during your development.
Your personal statement should cover where you are now, what you are
looking at achieving and the actions you will take, your previous
achievements and how they will help you reach your goal, your skills and
101
qualities and perhaps most importantly what you are going to do next. Here
is an example of a personal statement:
I have just completed my first year of university studying business and
management and achieved marks that average at 58 which I am pleased
with, but I want to increase them to over 60 this year. Over the summer I
had two weeks work experience in a marketing company which I really
enjoyed and learnt a lot from. Im interested in going on a placement year
ideally working in the marketing or sales department of an international
company. After graduation I am also thinking of going on to do a masters
although Im not sure what area in. At the moment I am considering
marketing, however to do this I need to ensure I achieve a 2.1. I work part
time as a waitress and from this I have developed good people skills and it
has taught me a lot about working for a company. As I am working during
term time I feel that my time management skills have really improved.
2. A document with a list of your goals along with an action plan of how you aim
to achieve them.
Make a list of aspects of both academic and personal life that you want to
develop further. This could include points such as developing confidence,
improving people skills, meeting your progress tutor to discuss a
presentation, joining a sports team, reading two non subject books a month
or passing your driving test.
You will then be able to determine the actions you need to take to achieve
these tasks. Some of the tasks may only take an afternoon whereas others will
be a much longer process. Also evaluate the tasks, as the skills you aim to
develop may be incorporated in other activities. This is why it is a good idea
to keep a notebook as you can track the different areas where you are
developing the skills.
From this list you can work out a timescale for completing the tasks. Consider
how long it will take to complete the different tasks and how they will fit in
around your existing schedule. A meeting with a tutor may only take thirty
minutes whereas passing your driving test is a longer process which will take
several hours a week for several months.
102
Create an action plan for each aim. Make clear notes on what you want to
achieve, the steps you will need to take, when you aim to achieve the target
and evidence documenting your achievement. Use the following template to
create your action plan:
Target
Steps to
achievement
1
2
3
Completed
by
Evidence
Remember that your targets and the steps you take towards achievement
dont have to be university based. Look towards the local community for
different steps to achieving your target from joining a sports team to
volunteering for a charity.
3. Evaluations of how you are progressing towards your goals and once achieved
what you learnt in the process
As you progress towards your goals, monitor and evaluate how well you are
working. For each target answer the following questions to gain an overview
of how well you are working:
What steps have I taken so far to achieve this target?

How well have I performed so far?
Do I need to alter the target?
What feedback have I received and how have I utilised it?
What have I learnt about myself and how have I changed?
What skills have I acquired or have I improved in a certain area?
What are the next steps I can take?
After answering the points look back at your action plan and if needed create
a new one incorporating any changes that you feel you need to make.
Upon achieving your goal one of the key points to help you develop further is
to evaluate your work. Along with looking at where you performed well look
at any problems that occurred, how you overcame them and if they could
have been avoided. It is also important to look at what evidence you are
103
basing your achievement on, (e.g. feedback from others, marks achieved) and
how reliable this information is. It is simple to say that you have achieved
something however the evidence you supply and the knowledge gained needs
to be solid and justifiable.
4. Evidence of your achievements (any certificates) along with copies of your
module results
5. A list of your different skills and a brief note showing how you have achieved
them
Discovering what personal qualities you have can help you to determine the
goals and targets you need to set yourself in your development plan. Often
you dont realise the qualities you have and it is a good idea to ask your
friends, supervisors and work colleagues to discover the personal qualities
you have but are unaware of. Make a list of the qualities you have and for
each one determine the following:
Where and how have you developed this quality?

What evidence can you give for demonstrating the quality?
How has the quality benefited you (looking at academic,
professional and personal life)?
How will the quality help you in finding a job?
Will the quality be a benefit to your employer or place of work?
Create a profile of your qualities. You could do this by taking four pages of
A4 and giving each one a heading for the different types of personal
qualities (e.g. people, activities, academic etc) and under each heading write
a list of your personal qualities. This way you will have a clear overview of
your qualities and the areas that you need to develop.
It is all very well having a broad spectrum of personal qualities but you need
to understand the significance and value of them. Sit down with someone
who knows you well and let them go through the list seeing if they agree,
disagree or can think of any other qualities you can add. Then consider the
value of each quality to you personally and the reason why it is important to
you.
104
Here are just a few examples of personal qualities and skills that you may
have: people management, negotiation, empathy, public speaking, decision
making, IT, selling, fund raising, learning from mistakes, personal
motivation, honesty etc.
6. An up-to-date copy of your CV
Personal development planning is, broadly speaking, completing the above
steps. However you need to look at it as a life skill (like cooking!) that you will
develop and expand over time, adding to what you have already learnt. The
key ingredients that you need to use for personal development are:
Reflection - this involves thinking about the tasks you are currently doing,
what areas you want to improve to how you will achieve this and looking at
the past with regards to how you will develop for the future.
Self-awareness - your development is yours alone and you need to be aware
of how you are progressing, looking at what is specific to you from strengths
to preferences and ambitions, while also being aware of what your limitations
are and how you can set about overcoming them.
Information - whilst working towards your goals you need to have up-to-date
information in order to make the correct judgements and also to broaden
your knowledge.
Responsibility - ultimately the choices you make are yours alone and in your
studies and the activities you participate in it is up to you to take personal
responsibility for your progression.
Planning - PDP is a strategy to get you where you want to be, you
need to set the targets, make the achievement and evaluate your
position.
105
Your future career

When it comes to thinking of your future profession you will most probably fall
into one of two groups; those who know exactly what they want to do and how
they will get there and those who dont really know what they want to do but will
perhaps have an idea of what area they want to work in.
First of all think of where you want to be in 5, 10 and 20 years time. Look not
only at the type of job you want to have but also the lifestyle you want to have.
Think of what you would want in an ideal world, to run your own business, have
a large family, an expensive sports car or to go on long luxurious holidays twice a
year. Then bring your ideas back to reality by removing what you can live
without or compromise on. Now consider the following points with regards to
future career development and what you want to achieve in life:
What do you enjoy doing and can this be related to what you plan to do in a
job?
What environment do you want to work in, will you be happy sat in an office
all day or would you prefer to travel and meet different people?
What type of people do you want to work with? Would you be happy working
with extremely driven, motivated people or in a more relaxed environment?
How much income would you want and how important is money to you,
think about your lifestyle plans?
What sort of lifestyle do you want to lead and how achievable will this be with
your current career plans?
With these questions in mind research the careers that interest you. From this
you will gain an insight into the activities they involve and you can get an idea of
whether you would be suited to the job. Prospects.ac.uk is a useful website that
contains information on numerous different professions and aptitude tests that
match your results to careers that are most suited to you.
The University have a specialist careers service there to help you. From writing
CVs to researching jobs the careers service offers invaluable advice to ensure that
you know about and utilise the opportunities that are available. The business
school also has a World of Work office that provides resources specifically aimed
at the Schools students. Remember that the university resources have been
designed for you so use them to your full advantage.
106
With so many graduates applying for the same jobs you need to stand out from
the crowd. Along with your degree choice look at the activities you enjoy outside
of university. If you are studying management and finance and also enjoy
playing sports you could consider applying for management and financial jobs
within the sports sector. Your enthusiasm for sports will make you stand out
from other candidates.
When choosing your elective modules consider picking them from a career
perspective looking at what modules will give you the most advantage for
specific jobs. However at the same time you may want to broaden your
knowledge and gain new perspectives on your subject.
There are numerous optional modules available to you. Look to the future and
how they will benefit you. Look not only at what interests you but also what the
professional bodies require you to take in order to obtain qualifications from
these bodies and progress in your career.
When it comes to applying for a job it is not only your knowledge that is
important but also your other interests and the skills you have gained from
them. Activities that you participate in outside of your academic studies can
provide you with a different skill set that will differentiate you from other
candidates. From problem solving, project leading (for example organising a
field trip) to communicating with people in different languages the activities that
you participate in show that you have transferable skills.
Your future employers are often under the impression that graduates do not
have the required transferable skills. However many graduates do have the skills
but dont communicate their skills in the application process. Having
undertaken PDP you will have an easily accessible list of your transferable skills
and can communicate them to your prospective employer.
Closing comments
Learning from your experiences will help you to improve your study skills and
become successful both as a student and in the workplace. Now is a good time to
reflect on your experience of reading this chapter.
107
Chapter 14
Conclusion
Feedback
If any student or member of staff has any comment or feedback on this
handbook they wish to make positive or negative it will be welcomed by
barbara.allan@hull.ac.uk. Improvements to the Study Skills Handbook will help
the learning process of future HUBS students. Your comments can make a
difference and will be much appreciated.
Closing comments
Thank you for spending some time reading and working through this handbook.
We hope you have found it useful.
There is a great deal of information and advice available on study skills. The
introduction outlines a range of key sources within the university. The Study
Advice Service is an important source of help and guidance. There are many
excellent books available on study skills and this chapter is followed by a
bibliography of relevant materials.
108
Resources and Bibliography
Useful resources
Allan, B (2009), Study Skills for Business and Management Students, Milton
Keynes, Open University Press.
Cameron, S. (2007) The Business Students Handbook, 4th ed., Harlow, Prentice
Hall.
Cottrell, S. (2003), Skills for Success: the Personal Development Planning
Handbook, Basingstoke, Palgrave.
Cottrell, S. (2003), The Study Skills Handbook, 2nd ed., Basingstoke, Palgrave.
Drew, S. and Bingham, R. (2001), The Student Skills Guide, 2nd ed., Aldershot,
Gower.
Giles, K. and Hedge, N. (1994), The Managers Good Study Guide, Milton
Moon, J. (2000), Learning Journals, London, Kogan Page.
Peck, J. and Coyle, M. (1999), The Students Guide to Writing: Grammar,
Punctuation and Spelling, Basingstoke, Palgrave.
University of Hull (2003), A Guide to Study Skills for International Students
2003-2004, Hull, International Office, University of Hull.
Bibliography
Allan, B (2009), Study Skills for Business and Management students, Milton
Cameron, S. (2007) The Business Students Handbook, 4th ed., Harlow, Prentice
Hall.
Moon, J. (2000), Learning Journals, London, Kogan Page.
109
Salmon, G. (2000), Emoderating, London, Kogan Page.

University of Hull (2003), A Guide to Study Skills for International Students
2003-2004, Hull, International Office, University of Hull.
110
Appendix A:
English grammar and punctuation
111
Appendix A
English grammar and punctuation
Introduction
This appendix aims to provide you with a brief, simplified outline of the basic
rules of English grammar and punctuation that you can use when undertaking
academic writing. It has been put together using text provided by the University
Study Advice Service. For more information about grammar, students can
consult Grammar: recommended resources on the Study Advice Service
website at www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice, or contact the Service directly on 01482
466199 or via studyadvice@hull.ac.uk. Non native speakers of English can also
seek help from the Language Learning Advisory Service and can use the
reference and practice materials for English grammar available in the Open
Learning Centre for Languages.
112
Appendix: English grammar and punctuation

Table 1: English grammar and punctuation
(Hyphen)
!
(Exclamation
mark)
.
(Full stop)
Description
A hyphen is used inside compound words. There
should be no spaces between the two parts of the
words. It is a shorter line than a dash.
The exclamation mark shows surprise in a speakers
voice. Both the question mark and exclamation mark
should be followed by capitals, as they are full stops
with an extra mark above. Sentences involving
question marks or exclamation marks are rare in
academic work. An exception is personal learning
journals.
The end of all sentences, except questions or
exclamations, are marked with a full stop. They enable
the reader to make a major pause and draw breath.
Full stops should always be followed by a capital
letter.
Example (s)
double-edged, anti-nuclear, fifty-six,
long-term, first-class, re-erect, coauthor
Help! Stop! That is great!
The ability to write clear and logical

assignments or reports is an essential
academic skill and it is also an
essential professional skill.
Incorrect practice
re-build, pre-occupied
The results from the

experiment were
surprising!
The ability to write. clear

and logical assignments or
reports. is an essential
academic skill. and it is
also an essential
professional skill.
. The ability to write clear
reports is an essential
academic skill and it is also
an essential professional
skill
...
(Ellipsis
mark)
:
(Colon)
(Apostrophe)
The three dots or ellipsis mark is used to show You will now have your lists of tasks
omission of material from quotations. This is often for the semesterand so you can begin
used in academic writing to edit an overlong to tackle each individual task.
quotation.
The strengths of systems dynamics
rest on its claim that structure is the
main determinant of systems
behavior If this claim is granted,
then systems dynamics becomes a
unifying interdisciplinary
framework (Jackson, 2003,78)
A colon (:) is used to introduce some additional
We now turn to the nations: the US,
information e.g. a list, or more detailed explanation.
the UK, France and Germany.
Think of it as having a meaning: now Id like to tell
you some more about what Ive just said.
In its simplest form, a colon is used to introduce a
list. The writer names a group and then, after a colon,
lists the members of the group; sometimes some
examples rather than the whole membership. In the
UK, colons and semi-colons are never followed by a
capital letter.
There are two main uses for apostrophes 1) for
possession and 2) for omission.
Possession is quite easy if you know the rule. When
we write about someone (the possessor) possessing
something, then this is shown by an apostrophe. The
rule is:
PUT THE APOSTROPHE AFTER THE POSSESSOR
(AND ADD AN S IF THE SOUND REQUIRES IT).
We now turn to the

nations: the US: the UK:
France and Germany.
We now turn to the
nations: The US, The UK,
France and Germany.
POSSESSION
One managers books - The books of
one manager
Two managers books - The books of
more than one manager
A womans rights - The rights of an
individual woman
Womens rights- The rights of (all)
women
GPs, 1960s, books
Omission is also quite easy. If you leave letters out of

words, then show you have left them out by putting
an apostrophe instead.
Important points to note:
In academic English avoid the use of shortened
words. Use the full forms where possible
Plural nouns which are not possessors NEVER
need apostrophes even if they are
abbreviations
its = it is and its = of it
(Dash)
Dashes are examples of parenthesis. Dashes always

come in pairs. If you use one, you must use two. The
last one of a pair of commas or dashes is over-ridden
by the end of a sentence use the full stop instead.
Avoid using too many dashes in your written work.
A dash is not the same as a hyphen though they are
the same key on a computer keyboard. A dash, comes
between, not inside words, is a longer line than a
hyphen, and should have a space before and after the
horizontal line like this. (If Microsoft WORD
Dogs behaviour - How dogs (in

general) behave
A dogs behaviour - How one
particular dog behaves
The USAs voting record- The history
of how the USA voted
The Statess record OR The
States record - It depends on how you
pronounce it
Jamess bike The bike of a boy called
James
Giddenss theory The theory
developed by Giddens.
OMISSION (avoid these forms in
academic writing)
He is NOT Hes
Is not NOT Isnt
Will not NOT Wont
You are NOT Youre
The business was struggling partly
because of poor management and
needed a new direction.
The business was

struggling partly because
of poor management and
Adjective
Adverbs
messes up as it sometimes does after corrections

and gives you a symbol that is too short, use the
Insert menu; go to Symbol; choose Special characters
and choose En-dash (the second on the list that
Microsoft offers you). Then press Insert and Close.)
Adjectives are often described as describing words
or words used to qualify (= say more about) nouns.
Adverbs are also describing words, but those used
for describing verbs. (Note the structure of the word
adverb.)
They are also words used to modify a verb. They say
more about the way in which a verb is done, or
carried out, or happens.
Note that many adverbs used with verbs but not all
end in ly. This is a way of forming adverbs out of
adjectives. Compare He drew a rough picture
(adjective) with He drew a picture roughly (adverb).
Apostrophe
()
Adverbs are also used to modify adjectives and other

adverbs.
There are two main uses for apostrophes 1) for
possession and 2) for omission.
Possession is quite easy if you know the rule. When
we write about someone (the possessor) possessing
something, then this is shown by an apostrophe. The
rule is:
PUT THE APOSTROPHE AFTER THE POSSESSOR
(AND ADD AN S IF THE SOUND REQUIRES IT).
a red car; an ambitious manager; the

biggest competition.
Later, it became dark; She slapped him
cruelly; he hit her hard; the car went
quickly; then he spoke to all the staff; it
was here; Ill do it tomorrow; the dog
ran forward, fast; he thought
carefully.
Importantly, we should consider ;
However, it was not to be; Therefore
we must reconsider our decision;
Consequently the Government lost the
argument.
very, quite, extremely
POSSESSION
One managers books - The books of
one manager
Two managers books - The books of
more than one manager
A womans rights - The rights of an
individual woman
Womens rights- The rights of (all)
women
GPs, 1960s, books
Omission is also quite easy. If you leave letters out of

words, then show you have left them out by putting
an apostrophe instead.
Important points to note:
In academic English avoid the use of shortened
words. Use the full forms where possible
Plural nouns which are not possessors NEVER
need apostrophes even if they are
abbreviations
its = it is and its = of it
Articles
Examples of articles are the, a and an.

The is called the definite article because it tends to
define a definite or particular one.
Dogs behaviour - How dogs (in

general) behave
A dogs behaviour - How one
particular dog behaves
The USAs voting record- The history
of how the USA voted
The Statess record OR The
States record - It depends on how you
pronounce it
Jamess bike The bike of a boy called
James
Giddenss theory The theory
developed by Giddens.
OMISSION (avoid these forms in
academic writing)
He is NOT Hes
Is not NOT Isnt
Will not NOT Wont
You are NOT Youre
That is the car that I would like to buymeans the particular model, or
machine.
I would like a car - means any car.
A (and an) are called the indefinite article(s), because

they are much more vague. They tend to mean any
one.
The manager introduced an appraisal

system.
The manager introduced a

appraisal system.(a
changes to an if the word
that follows it starts with a
vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
Brackets
Brackets are used to insert additional information

into a sentence. Brackets always come in pairs. If you
use one, you must use two.
With brackets, note that any full stop at the end goes
with the sentence it closes. If the sentence is wholly
inside the brackets, then the full stop should come
before the closing bracket.
(You must always close brackets.)

The human resource manager
introduced a new appraisal system
(the APPRISE sytem).
(This is incorrect).
(This rule is demonstrated in this
sentence.)
If the bracket is inside a sentence, then the full stop

comes after the closing bracket.
This is (incorrect.)
This rule looks (like this).
Capital
letters
The square brackets [ ] show any material added to

a quotation.
Capital letters are used for:
the first word of a sentence
We went to the park
the first person singular pronoun, as a subject, yes, even in e-mails; otherwise, its a spelling error!
I do not understand the exercise.
a title
Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr, Professor
a proper noun. e.g. the name of a person, place or

language.
Jane Smith, Tony Blair, Peter Wilson,

Russia, Russian; Africa, African;
Paris, Parisian; Andalusia, Japanese,
Arab, Arabic
Exception: If you are writing the title of a book or

journal then the form is as shown in the opposite
example.
Warning: Do NOT use capitals to highlight key words
Management and Organizational

Behaviour
i do not understand the

exercise.
The first stage in the

Project Cycle involves a
detailed analysis.
in your assignment. This is considered poor practice.
Colon (:)
Comma (,)
A colon (:) is used to introduce some additional

information e.g. a list, or more detailed explanation.
Think of it as having a meaning: now Id like to tell
you some more about what Ive just said.
In its simplest form, a colon is used to introduce a
list. The writer names a group and then, after a colon,
lists the members of the group; sometimes some
examples rather than the whole membership. In the
UK, colons and semi-colons are never followed by a
capital letter.
Essentially, punctuation is a guide to reading aloud.
Each punctuation mark represents a pause, or a tone
of voice. If you are unclear about punctuation then
read out your text. Where you think a reader should
We now turn to the nations: the US,

the UK, France and Germany.
We now turn to the

nations: the US: the UK:
France and Germany.
We now turn to the
nations: The US, The UK,
France and Germany.
Mr John Smith, the company

accountant, provided clear leadership
to his team.
The ability to, write clear

and logical assignments or,
academic skill, and it is
make a major pause (draw breath), use a full stop (.).

Where you think a reader should make a smaller
pause, use a comma (,). If you do this, you will rarely
be wrong. You will not be using punctuation in a very
sophisticated way, but you will make fewer mistakes.
Sometimes, the use of reading aloud can help you
decide whether you need a comma or not.
The e-mentoring project, which used

the online system iCohere, was funded
by the European Union.
Employers are looking for graduates
with high level skills, e.g
communication and team working
skills, as well as technical knowledge.
Commas are used to help the reader. They are often

used to separate out a clause that provides additional
information.
If you are unsure about where to place the commas
then a simple test is that if you remove the text that is
marked by the commas then the sentence will still
make sense.
Conjunctions
Warning: many academics disagree about commas.

Where Dr X thinks a text needs commas for clarity,
Prof. Y may feel there should be fewer commas. Some
people use much more punctuation than others. But
a good deal of punctuation is A MATTER OF TASTE
AND PERSONAL STYLE.
These are joining words and they are used to join
different parts of a sentence. Examples include: and,
but, either, or, neither, nor, that. There are two
kinds of conjunctions.
Co-ordinating conjunctions join two units of equal
importance.
I went to the lecture and made some

notes.
also an essential
professional skill.
Subordinating conjunctions are used to link clauses

(or sentences) together in such a way as to show their
relationship of meaning.
He said that it was a fine day.
Note: in formal academic English, use like as a

preposition only (with nouns). With verbs (clauses)
use the conjunction as. (In informal English, many
people use like with verbs (e.g. like I said). This is
regarded as a mistake in academic writing).
Dash ()
Ellipsis mark
(...)
Dashes are examples of parenthesis. They always

come in pairs. If you use one, you must use two. The
last one of a pair of commas or dashes is over-ridden
by the end of a sentence use the full stop instead.
Avoid using too many dashes in your written work.
The business was struggling partly

because of poor management and
A dash is not the same as a hyphen though they are

the same key on a computer keyboard. A dash, comes
between, not inside words, is a longer line than a
hyphen, and should have a space before and after the
horizontal line like this. (If Microsoft WORD
messes up as it sometimes does after corrections
and gives you a symbol that is too short, use the
Insert menu; go to Symbol; choose Special characters
and choose En-dash (the second on the list that
Microsoft offers you). Then press Insert and Close.)
The three dots or ellipsis mark is used to show You will now have your lists of tasks
omission of material from quotations. The three dots for the semesterand so you can begin
indicate that some text has been cut out from the to tackle each individual task.
Like I said earlier in the

essay. This should be
written as: As I wrote
earlier in this essay...
Only use the word like if
you are writing about like
in the sense of loving or
friendship.
The business was
struggling partly because
of poor management and
Exclamation
mark (!)
Full stop (.)
original source. This mark is often used in academic

writing to edit an overlong quotation.
The strengths of systems dynamics
rest on its claim that structure is the
main determinant of systems
behavior If this claim is granted,
then systems dynamics becomes a
unifying interdisciplinary
framework (Jackson, 2003,78)
The exclamation mark shows surprise in a speakers Help! Stop! That is great!
voice. Both the question mark and exclamation mark
should be followed by capitals, as they are full stops
with an extra mark above. Sentences involving
question marks or exclamation marks are rare in
academic work. An exception is personal learning
journals.
The end of all sentences, except questions or The ability to write clear and logical
exclamations, are marked with a full stop. They enable assignments or reports is an essential
the reader to make a major pause and draw breath. academic skill and it is also an
Full stops should always be followed by a capital essential professional skill.
letter.
Homophones A homophone is a word that sounds like another

word, but is spelled differently.
to, two, too

there, their
principal and principle.
The results from the

experiment were
surprising!
The ability to write. clear

reports. is an essential
academic skill. and it is
also an essential
professional skill.
. The ability to write clear
academic skill and it is also
an essential professional
skill
Where is the book?.
See Table 2 for further examples and

explanations of correct usage.
Hyphen (-)
Interjections
Nouns
Paragraph
Parenthesis
Plurals
A hyphen is used inside compound words. There

should be no spaces between the two parts of the
words. It is a shorter line than a dash.
These are the single words or short phrases that are
normally used only in spoken English, to express a
(sudden) emotion or something similar. Interjections
are NOT normally used in academic English.
You may have learnt that a noun is a naming word
or that 'a noun is the name of a thing, idea, person or
place.' Another way of identifying nouns is that if you
put a word after 'the' or 'a' and it sounds and looks
correct then it is probably a noun.
However, this does not apply to all nouns e.g.
people's names only have 'the' before them in
unusual circumstances, but they are still nouns.
Assignments need to be broken down into
paragraphs. Each paragraph will deal with one idea
and should be made up of a number of sentences.
Academic English probably has an average of
between two and five paragraphs per page. Each
paragraph should contain several sentences.
See the sections on brackets, dashes and commas.
Use a dictionary to identify plurals.
Nearly all nouns (names of things) form their plurals
by adding -s (or -es) the regular plural form
double-edged, anti-nuclear, fifty-six,

long-term, first-class, re-erect, coauthor
Gosh! Wow! My goodness! Ow! Ouch!
See Table 2 for further

examples and explanations
of correct usage.
re-build, pre-occupied
the man, a car, a university, a course,

the reference, a man, a town, a desk, a
dog, a car, a bridge, a religion
the Anne [that I am talking about] is

the one in the History Department, the
Hull I mean is in Canada
One sentence paragraphs.
Very long paragraphs e.g.
paragraphs that are spread
over one or two pages.
dog dogs, househouses, match

matches
woman women, sheepsheep
(see opposite).
There are some irregular plurals in native English
but the vast majority of nouns form their plurals
regularly.
Some examples of plurals used in academic English
are:
Words that ended -ex or -ix in Latin had a plural in
-ices (pronounced with two syllables, -i- as in in,
and sees).
Words that end in is form plurals in -es
Words that ended in -um in Latin formed their
plurals in -a.
Table 3 provides other examples of words in their
singular and plural forms. These examples suggest
that students who do not know the language
concerned should never try to work out the correct
forms.
Prepositions
These are short words such as of, over, across, for,

upon, as (when it is used as a noun), about, at, by,
far, from, in, inside, into, on, outside, onto, to, with.
They help to make the meaning of sentences clear.
Compound prepositions exist too e.g. because of, out
of.
appendix appendices, index

indices, helix helices, vertex
vertices, vortex vortice, codex
codices.
crisis crises, emphasis emphases,
thesis theses
curriculum curricula, datum
data. (Datum is a word rarely used in
English though the word data, and data
themselves, are essential for academic
writing! The word datum is rather like
a singular statistic. In mapmaking and
related subjects, it means a base line.)
Use a dictionary to identify
plurals.
as (when it is used with a noun), about,

at, by, for, from, in, inside, into, of, on,
outside, onto, to, with, etc.
Note that, while US and

informal UK English use
the form out the window
(simple preposition), formal
academic English in the UK
prefers the compound
preposition out of the
window. The opposite is
true of outside: the formal
academic form in the UK is

outside the house but US
English prefers outside of
the house.
Between you and me
Between you and I
Pronouns
Personal pronouns include: I, you, we, he, she. A

complete set of personal pronouns is provided in
table 4.
He managed the team.

John and I wrote the report.
He gave it to me.
Relative pronouns sometimes called wh-words

are pronouns (words which stand for nouns) which
relate one meaning to another meaning. The
commonest are which, who and whose. Where and
when also fit this pattern. Who is like the personal
pronouns.
Note that whom is like him. If you are confused
about when to use whom, try substituting he or him.
If him sounds more natural, use whom. If he sounds
more natural, use who.
Beware a common spelling error: whose is the
possessive form. Whos is the contracted form of who
is. (Contracted forms, like isnt, Im, shes and cant
should be avoided in academic English writing.)
Demonstrative pronouns show (demonstrate) what
you are talking about. Examples include: This, that,
these and those Dont confuse them with
demonstrative possessives (see above). This, that,
these and those are the commonest but they are
That is the one I want

I want that book
John and me wrote the

report.
He gave it to I
only pronouns when they are single words, standing

for a noun.
Question
mark (?)
Quotation
marks
( and )
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

Examples include: What, where, when, who, why
The question mark is used at the end of a question. It
shows the rising tone of a spoken question.
Who wrote the book?

The book was written by whom?
What is that?
Who are you?
What is an independent learner?
Quotation marks are also called Inverted commas and

speech mark. They are used to indicate speech,
quotations and to mark a word or phrase as having
special meaning.
The four methods most frequently
If you use a word-by-word quotation in your used to support the various stages of
assignments then you must use quotation marks and the system dynamics methodology
are (Jackson, 2003, 70)
you should use the double quotation marks ( and ).
She said, It is a very hot day.
Inverted
commas (
and )
Semi colon
(;)
With quotation marks, note that any full stop at the

end goes with the sentence it closes. If the sentence is
wholly inside the inverted commas, then the full stop
should come before the closing inverted comma. If
the inverted commas are inside a sentence, then the
full stop comes after the closing inverted comma.
See the section on quotation marks.
A semi-colon is a good example of more sophisticated

punctuation: as its appearance suggests, it is half way
between a full stop and a comma. Use it when you
write two separate sentences, know they are separate
"It is a truth universally

acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune, must be
in want of a wife."
In the 1960s, the USA was the worlds

strongest nuclear power; the USSR
was not far behind.
South Korea is a democratic country
Whom wrote the book?

The book was written by
who?
and should have a full stop, but youd like to keep

them very closely linked.
A semi-colon can also be used as a separator in lists

of longer items. Usually items in a list are separated
by commas. When we make a shopping list, for
example, short items (simple names) are separated
by commas: milk, butter, eggs, tea, brown sugar etc.
In academic writing, however, the items may be quite
long. In the second example given opposite, each of
the causes mentioned is so long that the three of
them together need the semi-colon to make them
easier to read.
A simpler approach is to use separate sentences (see

the third example opposite). If in doubt then keep it
simple.
Suggestion: if you find punctuation getting out of

control, then break your thoughts into separate
sentences.
with independent political parties;

North Korea is a one-party
(communist) state.
Among the most important causes of

the Second World War were: the
growing desire, and indeed policy, of
Hitler for increased lebensraum for the
German people; the growing fear and
distrust of the democratic states for
this and other manifestations of
Fascism; and the sympathy of the
democratic nations for the plight of
helpless countries in the centre of
Europe.
Among the most important causes of

the Second World War were the
growing desire, and indeed policy, of
Hitler for increased lebensraum for the
German people. In addition the
growing fear and distrust of the
democratic states for this and other
manifestations of Fascism and the
sympathy of the democratic nations
for the plight of helpless countries in
the centre of Europe were also causes.
Sentence
The main unit of language is the sentence. It starts

with a Capital (upper case) letter and ends with a full
stop.
In academic English, sentences are often complex
and contain phrases or clauses. When you are
writing sentences then make sure that they express
the idea that you want to share with the reader. If
you use commas then make sure that you follow the
guidelines on commas given in this table.
When you are writing complex sentences read them
out to make sure that they make sense. If you think
they may cause confusion then split them up into
shorter sentences.
Speech
marks (
and )
Verbs
I went to the lecture and made some

notes.
The e-learning training programme,
which was designed by an external
consultant, was evaluated using a
range of tools.
Demand rose, but supply fell.
He said that he would resign the next
day
See the section on inverted commas.
You may have heard a verb defined as a doing word

or a word that expresses an action or a state. A
more modern way of looking at it is as a word that
can have tense i.e. that can change, or be changed,
to express past, present or future (etc). If you can
say I do it today (or I am doing it today) and then
change it to I will do it tomorrow or I did it
yesterday, then it is probably a verb. This covers
the case of verbs that express a state (e.g. to be and
to become) as well as verbs of action (e.g. to fight, to
play, to run.)
To do, to be, to swim, to study, to

speak, to shop, to read, to write, to
want, to fight, to talk, to listen
Table 2: Common problems

Tricky
words
Explanation
Here, there,
everywhere
Words that mean a place are all formed from the

word here.
a) If you mean in this place, say here. (But note:
you hear with your ears.)
b) If you mean in that place, use there (th + (h)ere).
c) If you mean which place, use where (wh +
(h)ere). This applies to everywhere too.
Whose,
whos
Here, here
Two, too or
to?
Your or
youre?
Beware a common spelling error: whose is the

possessive form. Whos is the contracted form of who
is. Avoid using shortened forms such as Whos.
a) Here means a place
b) Hear means to hear with your ear.
a) Two is the number 2.
b) Too (pronounced long) means as well, also. I like
coffee. I like tea too. It also means over much,
surplus. The weather is too hot for me.
c) To is the spelling for all other meanings of words
that sound like this. It tends to be pronounced
very short. Sometimes it sounds like teh, or can
be written (in slang) as gotta
a) Your is like their. It means belonging to, or of,
you. Its your turn. Your assignment this week
is
b) Youre is like theyre. It means you are. Youre
Correct usage
Incorrect usage
a) Here is the shopping centre

b) There is a Tesco shop in the
shopping centre.
c) Where is the shopping centre?
The adverts are everywhere.
a) Whose bag is this?
b) Whos coming to tea?
Whose coming to tea? This

sentence should be written:
Who is coming to tea?
There are to many

managers. The sentence
should be written as: There
are too many managers.
Your not going to like this

report. The sentence should
be written as: You are not
going to like this report.
doing well. Youre to write an essay about .

Where or
were?
a) Where is a place, like here.

b) Were is like was. So Where were you is the right
way round.
Its or Its?
a) Its = of it
b) Its = it is
Their,
theyre or
there?
a) Their = of them. Have you seen their house?

b) Theyre = they are. Theyre moving in today.
c) There is the spelling for all other meanings of
words that sound like this. I left it there, in that
chair. There are three things I want you to
remember. There, there, have you hurt yourself?
Theres no chance you can get a ticket?
Affect or
effect?
a)
To affect is a verb to do something, e.g. she

was affected deeply by the death of her
husband; to raise taxes affects everyone.
a) The researcher found it difficult to

identify companies where children
were employed on their production
line.
b) The countries in which these
management practices are most
commonly found were identified by
a survey.
a) The company advertised its
training programme via the
Intranet.
b) Its a long way to travel by canal
.
a) There company is recruiting
new staff. Sentence should be
written: Their company is
recruiting new staff.
b) There moving today. This
sentence should be written as:
They are moving today.
c) Their are three points to note in
this diagram. This sentence
should be written as: There are
there points to note in this
diagram.
a) The credit crunch affected their
family income.
b) The effect of the credit crunch
The focus group involved

working with the team who
where working on the
project. This sentence
should be written as: The
focus group involved
working with the team who
were working on the
project.
b)
Practice or
practise?
Found or
Founded?
Lie or
lay or
laid?
Principle or
principal?
An effect is a noun a thing, or result. Cause

and effect are opposites. The effects of the war
were.
a) A practice is a noun something that you do,
there is a football practice tonight; I did 5
hours piano practice yesterday; my usual
practice is to warm up for five minutes first;
she is in General Practice. (If you can say a
practice in your sentence, then it is practice.)
b) To practise is a verb to do something, e.g. I
practised my vocabulary last night; he
practised Law in London.
a) To find is a verb, roughly the opposite of to lose.
Its past tense is found. Yesterday I found a five
pound note; He found the reference in his
textbook.
b) Confusingly, there is also a verb to found, which
means to lay the foundations of, or to begin. Its
past tense is founded. Robert Owen founded the
socially experimental community of New
Lanark; Bill Gates founded Microsoft.
a) To lie is an intransitive verb i.e. it has no
object. You lie down.
b) To lay is a transitive verb i.e. it has an object.
You lay something down. Confusingly, the past
tense of to lie is lay: She lay down for a moment
at three oclock. The past tense of to lay is laid:
They laid down their weapons
a) A principle is an underlying idea, or a moral
belief, etc.
b) A principal is either a Head (e.g. a Head-
was to reduce their monthly

income by 30%.
teacher); or an adjective describing the most

important thing, The principal point in this
lecture is
Table 3: Singular and plural forms of words

Singular
Plural
Notes
Abscissa
abscissae
OED also records abscissas.
Addendum
addenda
~ the things that should be added.
Alumna
alumnae
These are the feminine forms, ~ old girl(s).
Alumnus
alumni
These are the masculine forms, ~ old boy(s).
Analysis
analyses
Dont confuse with verb to analyse
Appendix
appendices
Better academic plural than appendixes.
auditorium
auditoria
automaton
axis
automata
axes
bacterium
bacteria
OED also records automatons.

Maths (~ turning point; graph line); History (the Axis = Germany, Italy,
Japan in W.W.II).
N.B. a single tiny thing is a bacterium.
cherub
cherubim
Academic religious contexts. Children are cherubs.
colloquium
colloquia
compendium
compendia
consortium
consortia
continuum
continua
corpus
corpora
crisis
crises
criterion
criteria
curriculum
curricula
dictum
dicta
OED also records compendiums.
The adjective is curricular.
analyses.
emphasis
emphases
Dont confuse with to emphasise
emphasises
erratum
errata
focus
foci
Also focuses; in U.K. often irregular focusses.
forum
fora
Many people say forums.
fungus
fungi
Colloquially, sometimes funguses.
ganglion
ganglia
genus
genera
helix
helices
hypothesis
hypotheses
incunabulum
incunabula
index
indices
locus
loci
maximum
maxima
medium
media
minimum
minima
nebula
nebulae
opus
opera
Musical plays use the works to move the audience.
persona
personae
- and personae non gratae.
phenomenon
postscriptum
phenomena
-scripta
quantum
quanta
radius
radii
referendum
referenda
Also referendums.
rostrum
rostra
rarely rostrums OED.
Dont confuse with verb to hypothesise.
Better academic plural than indexes.

Note adjective maximal.
Note adjective minimal.
Academics may add several post scripta to a letter. Others have

i
OED records quantums.
emphasises.
seraph
seraphim
In academic religious studies.
series
series
Singular and plural are the same.
simulacrum
simulacra
species
species
spectrum
spectra
stadium
stadia
stimulus
stimuli
stratum
strata
syllabus
syllabi
Better in academic writing than syllabuses.
synthesis
syntheses
- and verb to synthesise.
thesis
theses
tumulus
tumuli
Mostly archaeological.
ultimatum
ultimata
Ultimatums also exists.
vertex
vertices
vortex
vortices
Singular and plural are the same.

Still better in academic English than stadiums.
Table 4: Personal pronouns

Subjective
Objective
Possessive
Demonstrative
Possessive
Reflexive
1st person singular
me
my
mine
myself
2nd person singular
you
you
your
yours
yourself
[In older English
thou
thee
thy
thine
thyself]
masculine
he
him
his
his
himself
feminine
she
her
her
hers
herself
neuter
it
it
its
its
itself
1st person plural
we
us
our
ours
ourselves
2nd person plural
you
you
your
yours
yourselves
[In older English
Ye]
3rd person plural
they
them
their
theirs
themselves
impersonal
one
one
ones
oneself
3rd person singular -
Note:
Singular: one of the word, e.g. a boy, a child, he.

Plural: more than one e.g. boys, children, they.
1st person: means the person who is speaking I.
2nd person: the person to whom the 1st person is talking you.
3rd person: the one we are talking about he, she, it, they.

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Study Skills Handbook